UK boy's name
Yakub
A masculine Arabic name meaning "he will follow" or "supplanter".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Yakub is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Yakub popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1460, with 18 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 18 births.
This profile covers 217 England and Wales registrations across 23 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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.
Yakub is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 216 living people in the UK are called Yakub. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Yakub ranked #1460 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 18 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 18 boys were registered as Yakub.
- • About 216 living people in the UK are estimated to have Yakub as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1460
2024
Births in 2024
18
Latest year
Peak year
2024
18 births
Estimated living
216
2026
Meaning
What does Yakub mean?
The name Yakub has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov, which means "supplanter" or "one who follows on another's heels." The name is closely associated with the biblical figure Jacob, the patriarch of the Israelites and the son of Isaac and Rebekah.
Yakub appears prominently in the Book of Genesis, one of the most well-known religious scriptures in the Abrahamic faiths. The book recounts the story of Jacob, who was later given the name Israel by God after wrestling with an angel. Jacob's life and struggles are central to the narrative of the Hebrew Bible, making the name Yakub a significant part of Judeo-Christian tradition.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Yakub was Yakub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi, an Arab philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who lived in the 9th century CE (801-873 CE). He is regarded as one of the first great Islamic philosophers and is often referred to as "the Philosopher of the Arabs."
In the 12th century, Yakub ibn Laith al-Saffar was a powerful ruler of the Saffarid dynasty in Persia. He ruled from 865 to 900 CE and is known for his military conquests and expansion of the Saffarid Empire.
Yakub Beg, a military commander and ruler of the Mughal Empire in India, lived in the 16th century (1545-1605 CE). He played a significant role in the campaigns of the Mughal emperor Akbar and is known for his contributions to the consolidation of the Mughal Empire.
Yakub Khan was a prominent Afghan ruler and military leader in the 19th century (1820-1898 CE). He served as the Emir of Afghanistan from 1879 to 1880 and is remembered for his efforts to modernize and strengthen the Afghan state.
Yakub Kolas, a Belarusian poet and writer, lived from 1882 to 1956 CE. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Belarusian literature and played a crucial role in the development of the Belarusian cultural identity.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Yakub, reflecting its deep roots and significance across various cultures and time periods.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Yakub over time
The chart below shows babies named Yakub registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Yakub, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 18 births in 2024, compared with 18 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yakub by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Yakub 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 | #1830 | 65 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2137 | 109 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2876 | 40 | 7 |
| 1990s | #2863 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Yakub
- 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
Yakub: questions and answers
How popular is the name Yakub in the UK right now?
In 2024, Yakub was ranked #1460 for boys in England and Wales, with 18 births registered.
When was Yakub most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 18 babies registered as Yakub in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Yakub?
A masculine Arabic name meaning "he will follow" or "supplanter".
How many people are called Yakub in the UK?
A total of 217 babies have been registered as Yakub across the 23 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.