Gender: Masculine
Usage: English Dutch
Pronounced: JAY-kub

From the Latin Jacobus, which was from the Greek Ιακωβος (Iakobos), which was from the Hebrew name יַעֲקֹב (Ya'aqov). In the Old Testament, Jacob (later called Israel) is the son of Isaac and Rebecca and the father of the twelve founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. He was born holding his twin brother Esau's heel, and his name is explained as meaning "holder of the heel" or "supplanter". Other theories claim that it is in fact derived from a hypothetical name like יַעֲקֹבְאֵל (Ya'aqov'el) meaning "may God protect".

A famous bearer of this name was Jacob Grimm, the German linguist and writer who was, with his brother Wilhelm, the author of 'Grimm's Fairy Tales'.

Behind the Name. Copyright © Mike Campbell 1996-2005.