Jacob is a popular choice in the UK, ranked #30 in 2024. There's a good chance they'll share their name with at least one classmate throughout school.
Origin & Meaning
Hebrew — Supplanter
⭐
UK Rank 2024
#30
US Rank #41
About the Name Jacob
Jacob is holding steady in the rankings at #30. It reached its peak of #4 in 2013 and has maintained consistent levels since — the hallmark of a name with lasting rather than trend-driven appeal. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has spent 29 of the last 29 years inside the UK top 100 — a mark of enduring mainstream appeal.
The name carries Hebrew roots, where it means "Supplanter". Names with strong etymological stories tend to age well — they carry weight beyond fashion cycles.
Jacob is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
It ranks similarly in the US at #41, suggesting broad transatlantic appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Jacob
Unlikely. With around 1,484 UK babies named Jacob per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Jacob in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Jacob has held a stable position around #30 for several years. It reached its recorded peak of #4 in 2013 and has maintained consistent levels since — suggesting lasting rather than trend-driven appeal.
The name Jacob has Hebrew origins and means "Supplanter". Names with clear etymological roots tend to age well — they carry weight beyond fashion cycles and give children a story to tell about their name.
Notable people named Jacob include: Jacob Templeton — Jacob Templeton is an Australian Paralympic swimmer.; Jacob Rees-Mogg — Sir Jacob William Rees-Mogg is a British politician, businessman and broadcaster who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for North East Somerset from 2010...; Jacob Bethell — Jacob Graham Bethell is a cricketer who plays for the England cricket team..
Jacob ranks #41 in the US (2024), making it comfortably inside the American top 100. It's well-liked on both sides of the Atlantic.
1,484
UK babies named Jacob (2024)
~0.0
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.8
In a school of 600
↓ 11 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Jacob
Likely around 1 other Jacob in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Jacob
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Sir Jacob William Rees-Mogg is a British politician, businessman and broadcaster who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for North East Somerset from 2010 to 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council from 2019 to 2022, Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency from February to September 2022 and Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from September to October 2022.
Jacob Graham Bethell is a cricketer who plays for the England cricket team. He made his international debut in September 2024 against Australia at the Rose Bowl, Southampton and became England's youngest ever captain when led the Twenty20 International side against Ireland in September 2025.
Jacob Duffy is a New Zealand cricketer who plays for Otago. Duffy made his senior debut in an HRV Cup match against Northern Districts in January 2012.
Yaqub ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ibn Azar (Arabic: يعقوب بن إِسحق بن إبراهيم بن آزر [jaʕquːb ʔibn ʔisħaːq ʔibn ʔibraːhiːm ʔibn ʔaːzar], transl. Jacob, son of Isaac, the son of Abraham), later given the name Israil (إسرآءیل, transl.
Jacob Salomonsz. van Ruysdael was a Dutch Golden Age landscape painter who was the son of Salomon van Ruysdael and the cousin of the more famous Jacob Isaakszoon van Ruisdael.
Jacob the Monk (Greek Ἰάκωβος μονάχος, Latin Jacobus monachus), known in Syriac as Jacob the Wanderer (ܡܫܢܝܢܐܝܥܩܘܒ) and in Russian as Jacob the Palestinian (Иаков Палестинский), Jacob the Fasting (Иаков Постник), and Jacob of Carmel (Иаков Кармильский) was (if he existed) a hermit who lived in sixth-century Palestine. Whether or not he existed, he became a prominent saint in Greek, Russian, and Syrian Orthodox Christianity.