Jacob
From Middle English Iacob, from Late Latin Iācōbus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Biblical Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (yaʿăqōḇ, literally “May He Heel”), from the…
Every Jacob since 1880 — 990,532 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Jacob
Jacob is a top-50 name for boys in the United States, ranked #43 in 2025 with 6,152 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 990,532 American babies have been named Jacob. Its peak came in 1998, when 36,091 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1990s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Jacob stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Jacob year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 6,152 | #43 |
| 2024 | 9 | #10,612 | 6,541 | #40 |
| 2023 | 6 | #14,130 | 7,015 | #35 |
| 2022 | 10 | #9,992 | 7,667 | #32 |
| 2021 | 8 | #11,537 | 8,494 | #24 |
| 2020 | 9 | #10,608 | 9,309 | #15 |
| 2019 | 8 | #11,797 | 10,797 | #12 |
| 2018 | 9 | #10,907 | 11,897 | #13 |
| 2017 | 16 | #7,225 | 13,269 | #9 |
| 2016 | 16 | #7,390 | 14,559 | #7 |
| 2015 | 23 | #5,730 | 16,005 | #4 |
| 2014 | 13 | #8,667 | 16,923 | #4 |
| 2013 | 23 | #5,722 | 18,201 | #2 |
| 2012 | 26 | #5,309 | 19,110 | #1 |
| 2011 | 23 | #5,816 | 20,403 | #1 |
| 2010 | 29 | #4,900 | 22,157 | #1 |
| 2009 | 27 | #5,280 | 21,204 | #1 |
| 2008 | 29 | #5,067 | 22,621 | #1 |
| 2007 | 34 | #4,409 | 24,310 | #1 |
| 2006 | 37 | #4,030 | 24,871 | #1 |
| 2005 | 40 | #3,669 | 25,851 | #1 |
| 2004 | 171 | #1,263 | 27,911 | #1 |
| 2003 | 47 | #3,150 | 29,658 | #1 |
| 2002 | 41 | #3,354 | 30,586 | #1 |
| 2001 | 38 | #3,510 | 32,573 | #1 |
| 2000 | 59 | #2,551 | 34,492 | #1 |
| 1995 | 66 | #2,061 | 31,134 | #4 |
| 1990 | 59 | #2,185 | 22,022 | #20 |
| 1985 | 77 | #1,567 | 12,284 | #35 |
| 1980 | 52 | #2,023 | 8,520 | #43 |
| 1975 | 24 | #2,998 | 3,618 | #75 |
| 1970 | — | — | 910 | #255 |
| 1965 | — | — | 487 | #347 |
| 1960 | — | — | 493 | #351 |
| 1955 | 5 | #6,208 | 577 | #303 |
| 1950 | — | — | 465 | #318 |
| 1945 | — | — | 417 | #293 |
| 1940 | — | — | 514 | #235 |
| 1935 | — | — | 475 | #245 |
| 1930 | 7 | #3,837 | 622 | #212 |
| 1925 | — | — | 901 | #166 |
| 1920 | 5 | #5,326 | 1,050 | #143 |
| 1915 | — | — | 1,122 | #121 |
| 1910 | — | — | 273 | #117 |
| 1905 | — | — | 220 | #98 |
| 1900 | — | — | 233 | #101 |
| 1895 | — | — | 266 | #74 |
| 1890 | — | — | 290 | #66 |
| 1885 | — | — | 343 | #53 |
| 1880 | — | — | 404 | #39 |
Famous people named Jacob
- Jacob Religious figure · -1653–-1506
- Jacob Grimm Writer · 1785–1863
- Jacob Burckhardt Historian · 1818–1897
- Jacob Bernoulli Mathematician · 1654–1705
- Jacob van Ruisdael Painter · 1628–1682
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Jacob mean?
From Middle English Iacob, from Late Latin Iācōbus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Biblical Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (yaʿăqōḇ, literally “May He Heel”), from the third-person singular masculine imperfective form of the Semitic…
How popular is the name Jacob in 2025?
Jacob ranked #43 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 6,152 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Jacob?
990,532 babies have been named Jacob in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Jacob most popular?
Jacob peaked in 1998, when 36,091 newborns received the name.
Is Jacob a boy or girl name?
Jacob is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Jacob rising or falling?
Jacob is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Jacob?
Well-known people named Jacob include Jacob (religious figure), Jacob Grimm (writer), Jacob Burckhardt (historian).