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Home › Baby Names Directory › Yaacov

Yaacov

♂ Boy

Pronounced yah-ah-KOV /jɑː.ɑːˈkov/Medium

Meaning: A transliteration of the Hebrew name Yaakov, the biblical Jacob — patriarch of the Israelites, son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. The name is traditionally read as 'holder of the heel' or 'supplanter', and is also explained as 'may God protect'.Medium

In 30 seconds: The Hebrew Jacob, said as it is in Hebrew: Yaacov, a patriarch's name carried for millennia (said 'yah-ah-KOV').
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Origin HighHebrew
MeaningA transliteration of the Hebrew name Yaakov, the biblical Jacob — patriarch of the Israelites, son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. The name is traditionally read as 'holder of the heel' or 'supplanter', and is also explained as 'may God protect'.
U.S. rank (2024)#14136 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2000
Total births (all-time)≈ 127

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200019792024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Yaacov renders the Hebrew name Yaakov, borne in the Torah by the patriarch Jacob, son of Isaac, whose twelve sons give their names to the tribes of Israel. The name is traditionally understood as 'holder of the heel' or 'supplanter', and is also explained as a prayer, 'may God protect'. It passed into Greek and Latin as Iakobos and Iacobus, and from there into English as Jacob and James. It remains a living, honored name in Jewish communities (said 'yah-ah-KOV').

In the U.S. it appears only rarely in this spelling, chiefly in Jewish families. Rare here, ancient and cherished at the root.

Did you know? Yaacov is the Hebrew form of Jacob — one of the three patriarchs of Israel — and remains a cherished, widely used name in Jewish families today; families vary in spelling it Yaakov, Yaacov or Yakov.
Overall data confidence 60%
References — Yaacov — Hebrew Yaakov (biblical Jacob); 'heel-holder / may God protect'

Variations

YaakovYakovJacob

Nicknames

YakiKobi

Famous Bearers

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If you like Yaacov…

Jacob— the English form of the same name
Yosef— a like Hebrew patriarchal name
Levi— a like Hebrew classic for boys
Ezra— a like warm Hebrew pick

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Yaacov mean?

Yaacov is the Hebrew form of Jacob, traditionally read as 'holder of the heel' or 'supplanter', and also explained as 'may God protect'.

How do you pronounce Yaacov?

It's said yah-ah-KOV /jɑː.ɑːˈkov/ — three syllables, stress on the last; some families say YAH-kov.

Is Yaacov a boy or girl name?

Yaacov is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Yaacov?

Yaacov is rare in the U.S. in this spelling, though beloved in Jewish families; Jacob is far more common.

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