Jacob is an extremely popular boys' name in England & Wales, ranking #6 in 2017 with 3,968 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2012 with 5,286 births ranking #5. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 76.4%. In 2017, approximately 1 in every 81 boys born was named Jacob. FALLING Recent data shows the name is currently falling.
Jacob is a major Hebrew biblical name traditionally linked with grasping the heel and later with the idea of supplanting. It is one of the deepest-rooted and most internationally stable boys' names in use.
The name comes from the patriarch Jacob in the Hebrew Bible and has remained central in Jewish and Christian naming for centuries. Its long life has made it feel timeless rather than old.