Jakob

See also: Jákob

English

Proper noun

Jakob

1. A male given name, equivalent to English Jacob.
2. A surname.

Derived terms

• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Danish

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Jakob

1. Jacob (biblical character).
2. James (biblical character).
3. a male given name, also spelled Jacob

Related terms

• (male given names) Ib, Jeppe, Jack, Jim, Jimmi, Jimmy
• (surnames) Jacobsen, Jakobsen

References

• [1] Danskernes Navne, based on CPR data: 22 417 males with the given name Jakob (compared to 25 930 named Jacob) have been registered in Denmark between about 1890 (=the population alive in 1967) and January 2005, with the frequency peak in the 1970s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjaː.kɔp/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Ja‧kob

Proper noun

Jakob m

1. (biblical) Jacob (Old Testament figure)
2. a male given name, variant of Jacob

Derived terms

• jakobskruiskruid

Related terms

• Sjaak

Further reading

• Jakob on the Dutch Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^nl

Estonian

Proper noun

Jakob

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Jacob or James

Related terms

• Jaagup, Jaak, Jaakob, Jaakobus, Kaupo

German

Alternative forms

• Jacob

Etymology

Inherited from Middle High German Jācob. Doublet of Jakobus, which comes directly from Latin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjaːkɔp/

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Ja‧kob

Proper noun

Jakob m (proper noun, strong, genitive Jakobs)

1. (biblical) Jacob (Old Testament personality)
2. (chiefly outside of Bible translation) alternative form of Jakobus (“James”, New Testament personality)
3. a male given name

Usage notes

• See Jakobus for notes on biblical and common usage.

Derived terms

• billiger Jakob
• Jakobsmuschel f
• Jockel

Related terms

• (pet forms) Jakobchen, Köb, Köbes, Koeeb, Jäggi, Joggi
• (feminine forms) Jacqueline, Jaqueline

Hunsrik

Alternative forms

• Yaakop (Wiesemann spelling)

Etymology

Inherited from Middle High German Jācob. Doublet of Schakoh, through Portuguese.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjaːkop/
• Rhymes: -aːkop
• Syllabification: Ja‧kob

Proper noun

Jakob m

1. (biblical) Jacob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca)
   • 2022 November, Naye Testamënt Tswaayxproochich [Bilingual New Testament], Barueri: Sociedade Bíblica do Brasil, →ISBN, Mateus 1:2:

     Aapraham waar fater fon Iisak, Iisak waar fater fon Yaakop, un Yaakop waar fater fon Yutaa un tëm sayn priiter.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. a male given name, equivalent to English Jacob

References

• Boll, Piter Kehoma (2021), “Jakob”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português, 3rd edition (overall work in Portuguese), Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch, page 85, column 1

Icelandic

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈjaːkɔp]

Proper noun

Jakob m (proper noun, genitive singular Jakobs)

1. Jacob (biblical character)
2. James (biblical character)
3. a male given name

Declension

Declension of Jakob (sg-only masculine)

indefinite singular
nominative	Jakob
accusative	Jakob
dative	Jakob, Jakobi
genitive	Jakobs

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• Jacob

Etymology

Inherited from Old Norse Jakob, from Latin Iacobus, from Ancient Greek Ἰακώβ (Iakṓb), from Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿăqōḇ). The meaning is disputed: the Old Testament associates the name with “holding the heel”, while another interpretation is “may God protect”. The name is First attested in the 12th century in Norway.

Compare Danish Jakob, Swedish Jakob, Icelandic Jakob, Faroese Jákup and Czech Jakub (“male given names”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjɑː.kɔp/, /ˈjɑː.kup/
• Rhymes: -ɑːkɔp, -ɑːkup
• Hyphenation: Ja‧kob

Proper noun

Jakob

1. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Jacob
2. a surname transferred from the given name, derived from the male given name

Usage notes

• The Norwegian name day for Jakob is 25 July.
• The name has been documented in Norway since the 12th century and experienced renewed popularity around the beginning of the 21st century.

Derived terms

• Jakobine (“feminine derivative”)
• Jakobsen (“patronymic surname”)
• Jakobsson (“patronymic surname”)

Statistics

• According to Statistics Norway, 7,769 men in Norway had Jakob as their sole or first given name as of 31 December 2025.
• In 2025, 297 boys were given the spelling Jakob. Together with Jacob, the name ranked second among boys’ names, with 413 newborns.
• The surname Jakob was borne by 25 people in Norway as of 31 December 2025.

References

• “Jakob – mannsnamn” in Store norske leksikon.
• “Jakob” at Nordic Names.

Swedish

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Jakob c (genitive Jakobs)

1. Jacob (biblical character)
2. James (biblical character)
3. a male given name, also spelled Jacob

Related terms

• Jacke (nickname)