UK boy's name
Yacqub
A masculine Arabic name 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.
Yacqub is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Yacqub 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 2011, with 8 births.
This profile covers 64 England and Wales registrations across 14 recorded years from 2001 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 38% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 64 living people in the UK are called Yacqub. 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
- • Yacqub ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2011, when 8 boys were registered as Yacqub.
- • About 64 living people in the UK are estimated to have Yacqub 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
2011
8 births
Estimated living
64
2026
Meaning
What does Yacqub mean?
The name Yacqub is derived from the Arabic name Ya'qub, which is the Arabic form of the Hebrew name Jacob. It has roots in the ancient Semitic languages of the Middle East, and is believed to have originated in the region of modern-day Israel and surrounding areas.
The name Yacqub is found in the religious scriptures of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In the Old Testament of the Bible, Jacob was one of the patriarchs and the son of Isaac and Rebecca. He was also the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. In the Quran, Jacob is referred to as Ya'qub and is regarded as a prophet.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Yacqub can be found in the Book of Genesis, which is believed to have been written between the 15th and 13th centuries BCE. The name is also mentioned in other ancient texts, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Talmud.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures named Yacqub. One of the most famous was Yacqub ibn Killis (c. 930-991 CE), a renowned philosopher and scientist from Baghdad who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy.
Another notable figure was Yacqub ibn Laith al-Saffar (840-879 CE), the founder of the Saffarid dynasty, which ruled parts of modern-day Iran and Afghanistan. He was a military leader who played a crucial role in the decline of the Abbasid Caliphate.
In the 12th century, there was Yacqub al-Mansur (1160-1199 CE), the third Sultan of the Almohad Caliphate in present-day Morocco and parts of Spain. He was known for his military campaigns and for consolidating the Almohad Empire.
Another notable figure was Yacqub ibn Yusuf al-Masmudi (d. 957 CE), a renowned Arab geographer and historian from Morocco. He authored several works, including the "Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems," which provided valuable insights into the history and geography of the Islamic world.
In the field of literature, one can mention Yacqub Sanu (1917-1987), a renowned Azerbaijani writer and poet who made significant contributions to the development of Azerbaijani literature and culture.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Yacqub over time
The chart below shows babies named Yacqub registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 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 Yacqub, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 8 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yacqub by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Yacqub 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 | #3413 | 37 | 7 |
| 2000s | #3340 | 20 | 5 |
Related
Names similar to Yacqub
- Yusuf 11,801
- Yahya 5,758
- Yunus 2,009
- Yaseen 1,799
- Yasin 1,797
- Yuvraj 1,605
- Yaqub 1,517
- Yousef 1,489
- Yousuf 1,454
- Yasir 1,056
- Yash 876
- Youssef 749
FAQ
Yacqub: questions and answers
How popular is the name Yacqub in the UK right now?
In 2021, Yacqub was ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Yacqub most popular?
The peak year on record was 2011, with 8 babies registered as Yacqub in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Yacqub?
A masculine Arabic name meaning "supplanter" or "holding the heel".
How many people are called Yacqub in the UK?
A total of 64 babies have been registered as Yacqub across the 14 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.