Jacob
Pronounced JH EY1 K AA1 B (ARPABET)
- 2 syllables
- Peaked 1998
- 145 years in use
- Biblical
- 2 spellings
How popular is Jacob?
Jacob is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 991,395 children — the 33rd most common boys' name on record.
It is falling away, down 51% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1998, when 36,158 children were given it.
Two other spellings are counted in that total — Jaycob and Jaecob — because they are pronounced identically.
Spelling variants
These spellings sound identical to Jacob and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.
- Jaycob
- Jaecob
Nicknames
Common short forms: Jake.
Characteristics
- Biblical (Person)
- 2 syllables
Phonetic detail
- Pronunciations:
- JH EY1 K AA1 B · JH EY1 K AH0 B
- Stress pattern:
- 11 · 10
- Syllables:
- 2
Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.
Names like Jacob
Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.
Sibling names for Jacob
Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.
Frequently asked questions
- How popular is the name Jacob?
- Jacob ranks 33rd among boys' names in US records, with 991,395 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 107,812.
- Is Jacob a unisex name?
- No. Jacob is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
- When was Jacob most popular?
- 1998, when 36,158 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
- What are common nicknames for Jacob?
- Jake. These are recorded as separate names in their own right, so each has its own page and its own popularity curve.
- How else is Jacob spelled?
- Jaycob, Jaecob. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.