NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Jacub

A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "supplanter" or "holding the heel".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Jacub is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Jacub popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4789, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 7 births.

This profile covers 62 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 2007 to 2021. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 62 living people in the UK are called Jacub. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2022 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Jacub ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2015, when 7 boys were registered as Jacub.
  • About 62 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jacub as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4789

2021

Births in 2021

3

Latest year

Peak year

2015

7 births

Estimated living

62

2026

Meaning

What does Jacub mean?

The name Jacub is derived from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov, which is transliterated as Jacob in English. This name has its origins in the biblical figure Jacob, who was one of the patriarchs of the Israelites and the son of Isaac and Rebekah. The name Ya'aqov is believed to come from the Hebrew word 'aqev, meaning "heel" or "supplanter."

According to the Book of Genesis, Jacob was born grasping the heel of his twin brother Esau, which led to his name. The name Ya'aqov appears numerous times in the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament, where Jacob's story is recounted. His life and struggles are central to the narratives of the patriarchal period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jacub is in the Latin Vulgate Bible, a 4th-century translation of the Bible into Latin. In this translation, the Hebrew name Ya'aqov is rendered as Iacob or Iacub, which is closer to the modern spelling of Jacub.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Jacub. One of the earliest was Jacub ben Levi (c. 1050 CE), a prominent Jewish scholar and philosopher from Spain during the Golden Age of Jewish culture in Muslim-ruled Iberia.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Jacub al-Qirqisani (c. 937 CE), a prominent Karaite Jewish philosopher and polemicist from Iraq. His works were influential in the development of Karaite thought and practice.

In the 16th century, Jacub Palaeologus (c. 1520 - 1585) was a prominent Greek scholar and humanist who lived in Italy. He was known for his translations of Greek texts into Latin and his contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature.

During the 17th century, Jacub Arminius (1560 - 1609) was a Dutch theologian and professor who founded the Arminian school of thought within Protestantism, which emphasized free will and rejected the strict Calvinist doctrine of predestination.

More recently, Jacub Biezen (1863 - 1949) was a Dutch painter and etcher known for his landscapes and cityscapes, particularly those depicting Amsterdam and its canals.

While the name Jacub has been more commonly spelled as Jacob or Jakob in various languages and cultures, it retains its Hebrew roots and connection to the biblical patriarch. The name's enduring use over centuries reflects its cultural and historical significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Jacub over time

The chart below shows babies named Jacub registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2007 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Jacub, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 7 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Jacub
02457200720142021

Decades

Jacub by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jacub was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #4319 7 2
2010s #3189 51 9
2000s #3589 4 1

Related

Names similar to Jacub

FAQ

Jacub: questions and answers

How popular is the name Jacub in the UK right now?

In 2021, Jacub was ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Jacub most popular?

The peak year on record was 2015, with 7 babies registered as Jacub in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Jacub?

A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "supplanter" or "holding the heel".

How many people are called Jacub in the UK?

A total of 62 babies have been registered as Jacub across the 12 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.