Jacobs
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Jacob,” common in both Christian and Jewish family lines.
The #257 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,603 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Jacobs comes from the given name Jacob, ultimately from Hebrew Ya‘aqov. In English and other European naming traditions, the added -s usually means “son of,” so the surname originally meant “Jacob’s child” or “descendant of Jacob.” The name can arise independently in Christian families from the biblical personal name, and in Jewish families from the long-standing use of Jacob as a given name.
History
Historical surname books note that Jacobs is especially common among Jewish families, but also occurs among people of clearly English descent. It spread widely in England and across continental Europe, with related forms such as Jacobson, Jacoby, and Jakobs appearing in different languages. Because the surname is built from a very common biblical name, it developed in more than one community rather than from a single family line.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root surname generated a whole family of forms across Europe, including Jacobson in English and Scandinavian usage and Jacoby in Germanic and Jewish contexts.
From the historical record
“1768. Married— Thomas Cokhin and Ann Jacobs : St. Gea Han. Sq. i. 184. 1796. Joseph Colchin and Mary Mar- shall : ibid. ii. 148.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)Notable people named Jacobs
- Jill Biden (b. 1951)
- Danny Jacobs (b. 1968)
- Kane (b. 1967)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.