From Middle English Iacob, from Late Latin Iācōbus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Biblical Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (yaʿăqōḇ, literally “May He Heel”), from the third-person singular masculine imperfective form of the Semitic verb "to heel" (with various meanings), in turn from עָקֵב (ʿāqēḇ, “heel of the foot”). Doublet of James, Yaakov, and Yakub.
Meanings
A breed of multihorned sheep.
(UK, obsolete, slang) A ladder.
Where's the Jacob? — the what, sir? — the Jacob! the ladder ye fool! 1825, M. Egerton, Airy Nothings; Or, Scraps and Naughts, and Odd-cum-shorts, page 26:
From Middle English Iacob, from Late Latin Iācōbus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Biblical Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (yaʿăqōḇ, literally “May He Heel”), from the third-person singular masculine imperfective form of the Semitic verb "to heel" (with various meanings), in turn from עָקֵב (ʿāqēḇ, “heel of the foot”). Doublet of James, Yaakov, and Yakub.
Meanings
A male given name from Hebrew.
Analysts and opinion polls had forecast losses for the ANC but a pivotal factor in the party’s staggering decline was former President Jacob Zuma and his newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, which capitalized on widespread discontent within the ANC’s traditional voter base. 2024 June 5, Sarah Dean, David McKenzie, “Jacob Zuma has made a dramatic comeback in South Africa’s elections. Will he have the last laugh over Ramaphosa?”, in CNN, archived from the original on 28 Aug 2024:
"Georgette. How are you called?" "Jacob." "That's a Flemish name." "American too." "You're not a Flamand?" "No, American." "Good, I detest Flamands." - - -
Brett smiled at him. "I've promised to dance this with Jacob," she laughed. "You've a hell of a biblical name, Jake." 1927, Ernest Hemingway, chapter III, in The Sun Also Rises:
A male given name from Hebrew. ▸ One of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca, and twin brother of Esau; father of the Israelites (Jews and Samaritans) by 12 sons by 4 consorts, most famously Judah and Joseph who fathered Manasseh.
And the boyes grew; and Eſau was a cunning hunter, a man of the fielde: and Iacob was a plaine man, dwelling in tents. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 25:27, column 2:
(Mormonism) A male given name from Hebrew. ▸ The fifth son of Lehi and one of the younger brothers of Nephi, author of one of the books in the Book of Mormon.
vi Giacôbê (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · gl Xaime (male given name (the standard form)) · et Jaakob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · af Jako (male given name (the standard form)) · mi Hākopa (male given name (the standard form)) · gl Xacobe (male given name (the standard form)) · el Ιακώβ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ee Yakob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · bg Я́ков (male given name (the standard form)) · syc ܝܥܩܘܒ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · hi जेकब (male given name (the standard form)) · ug ياقۇپ (male given name (the standard form)) · gd Iàcob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ca Jaume (male given name (the standard form)) · grc Ἰακώβ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · nl Jacob (male given name (the standard form)) · vi Giacóp (male given name (the standard form)) · oc Jacme (male given name (the standard form)) · la Jacobus (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · pl Jakub (male given name (the standard form)) · cs Jakub (male given name (the standard form)) · fro Jacob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · da Jacob (male given name (the standard form)) · th ยาโคบ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · zdj Yakub (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · is Jakob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · lv Jēkabs (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · et Jaak (male given name (the standard form)) · kl Jaaku (male given name (the standard form)) · es Jacobo (male given name (the standard form)) · sv Jakob (male given name (the standard form)) · es Yago (male given name (the standard form)) · yi יעקבֿ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · fi Jaakob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · uk Іáків (male given name (the standard form)) · br Jakez (male given name (the standard form)) · es Santiago (male given name (the standard form)) · fr Jacob (male given name (the standard form)) · ba Яҡуп (male given name (the standard form)) · gez ያዕቆብ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · af Jacobus (male given name (the standard form)) · uk Я́ків (male given name (the standard form)) · nrf Jâcob (male given name (the standard form)) · ba Яҡуп (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · af Jaco (male given name (the standard form)) · cy Jacob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · sco Jaucob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · sh Jakov (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · cop ⲓⲁⲕⲱⲃ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · scn Jàbbucu (male given name (the standard form)) · it Giacomo (male given name (the standard form)) · no Jakob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · sl Jakob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · nl Jacobus (male given name (the standard form)) · xcl Յակոբ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · cmn 雅各 (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · bg Я́ков (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · fi Jaakko (male given name (the standard form)) · af Jakob (male given name (the standard form)) · pt Jaime (male given name (the standard form)) · ga Séamas (male given name (the standard form)) · mk Јаков (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ha Yaƙubu (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · es Jacob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ru Я́ков (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · hu Jákob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · he יַעֲקֹב (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · iu ᔮᑯᑉ (male given name (the standard form)) · no Jakob (male given name (the standard form)) · fr Jacob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · it Giacobbe (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · el Ιακώβ (male given name (the standard form)) · hi याक़ूब (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ms Yakub (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · id Yakub (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ms Yaakub (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · tr Yakub (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · sv Jakob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ha Yaƙubu (male given name (the standard form)) · ko 야곱 (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · vi Giacóp (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · de Jakob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · pl Jakub (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · uk Я́ків (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · uk Іаків (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · mnc ᠶᠠᡴᠣᠪ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · hy Հակոբ (male given name (the standard form)) · mr जेकब (male given name (the standard form)) · ml യാക്കോബ് (male given name (the standard form)) · cy Iago (male given name (the standard form)) · ro Iacob (male given name (the standard form)) · ab Еқәыԥ (male given name (the standard form)) · fy Japik (male given name (the standard form)) · ms Yaakub (male given name (the standard form)) · war Santiago (male given name (the standard form)) · nl Jakob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ar يَعْقُوب (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · mt Ġakobb (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · fr Jacques (male given name (the standard form)) · lv Jēkabs (male given name (the standard form)) · fa جاکوب (male given name (the standard form)) · nv Jéíkab (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · pox Joťüb (male given name (the standard form)) · bn ইয়াকুব (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ar يَعْقُوب (male given name (the standard form)) · haw Iakoba (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · kk Жақып (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · yi יעקבֿ (male given name (the standard form)) · cmn 雅各布 (male given name (the standard form)) · tr Yakup (male given name (the standard form)) · ro Iacov (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · is Jakob (male given name (the standard form)) · sw Yaakub (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · vi Giacơ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · vi Giacôbe (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · af Jakobus (male given name (the standard form)) · pt Tiago (male given name (the standard form)) · pt Jacó (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · nv Jéíkab (male given name (the standard form)) · xag 𐔺𐔰𐕄𐕒𐔱 (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ee Yakob (male given name (the standard form)) · az Yaqub (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · de Jakob (male given name (the standard form)) · ru Иа́ков (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · es Diego (male given name (the standard form)) · gu યાકૂબ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ru Иа́ков (male given name (the standard form)) · bn ইয়াকুব (male given name (the standard form)) · ml ചാക്കോ (male given name (the standard form)) · be Я́каў (male given name (the standard form)) · gl Xácome (male given name (the standard form)) · wa Djåke (male given name (the standard form)) · gd Seumas (male given name (the standard form)) · zdj Yakuba (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ga Iacób (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ru Дже́йкоб (male given name (the standard form)) · it Jacopo (male given name (the standard form)) · ka იაკობი (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · be Я́каў (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · sk Jakub (male given name (the standard form)) · sh Јаков (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · af Jakob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · nrf Jâcob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · cs Jákob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · izh Jaakko (male given name (the standard form)) · sk Jakub (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · fa یعقوب (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · da Jakob (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · kl Jaaku (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · fo Jákup (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · el Ιάκωβος (male given name (the standard form)) · sq Minikel (male given name (the standard form)) · chr ᏤᎦᏈ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · cu Иꙗковъ (male given name (the standard form)) · vi Yacôbê (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · fo Jákup (male given name (the standard form)) · el Τζέικομπ (male given name (the standard form)) · it Giacobbe (male given name (the standard form)) · am ያቆብ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · tr Yakup (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ga Séamus (male given name (the standard form)) · yue 雅各 (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · mk Јаков (male given name (the standard form)) · haw Iakopa (male given name (the standard form)) · ja ヤコブ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · hy Հակոբ (one of the sons of Isaac and Rebecca) · ru Я́ков (male given name (the standard form))