Jaques
A surname usually linked to the French form of Jacob, meaning “James” or “supplanter.”
The #9,998 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 95,765 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Jaques is generally understood as a French surname from the personal name Jacques, the French form of Jacob. Jacob ultimately comes from Hebrew Ya‘aqov, a name traditionally interpreted as “supplanter.” In English records, the name often appears alongside or as a variant of Jacks, Jakes, and James-related forms, reflecting the way medieval and later nicknames and given names crossed over into surnames.
History
The name is well established in French and French-influenced naming traditions, and it also appears in English records as an imported or anglicized surname. Some 19th-century writers connected similar forms to compound French surname patterns or to the Christian name Jacques, but the basic derivation from the personal name is the safest reading. In Britain and North America it has remained comparatively uncommon, though visible in parish registers and census records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older English books sometimes grouped Jaques with a cluster of names built from “James/Jacob” forms, showing how fluid spelling could be before standardization.
From the historical record
“or Jake, but when found as a Christian name Jake* stood for Jaques^ James. It is curious to notice that Jakes has been avoided for some generations, Jacks or Jacques being the popular rorms. The local jaits (a house of office) has caused the objection.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances