NameCensus.

UK surname

Jacobi

Derived from the given name Jacob, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows on the heels of another."

In the 1881 census there were 76 people recorded with the Jacobi surname, ranking it #22,745 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 128, ranked #26,401, down from #22,745 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Putney, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stobswell, Enfield and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jacobi is 145 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 68.4%.

1881 census count

76

Ranked #22,745

Modern count

128

2016, ranked #26,401

Peak year

1999

145 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jacobi had 76 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,745 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016, ranked #26,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 118 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Jacobi surname distribution map

The map shows where the Jacobi surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Jacobi surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jacobi over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 15 #30,614
1861 historical 14 #32,072
1881 historical 76 #22,745
1891 historical 76 #27,290
1901 historical 114 #21,166
1911 historical 118 #20,649
1997 modern 130 #23,021
1998 modern 138 #22,814
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 138 #22,960
2001 modern 134 #23,037
2002 modern 135 #23,398
2003 modern 129 #23,783
2004 modern 127 #24,224
2005 modern 130 #23,848
2006 modern 129 #24,165
2007 modern 132 #24,166
2008 modern 135 #24,123
2009 modern 133 #24,817
2010 modern 136 #25,009
2011 modern 135 #24,922
2012 modern 138 #24,614
2013 modern 138 #25,020
2014 modern 142 #24,734
2015 modern 140 #24,836
2016 modern 128 #26,401

Geography

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Where Jacobis are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Putney, London parishes, St Pancras and St Giles-in-the-Fields. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stobswell, Enfield, North Lincolnshire, Tendring and Newport. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Putney London (South Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 St Giles-in-the-Fields London (Central Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stobswell Dundee City
2 Enfield 016 Enfield
3 North Lincolnshire 022 North Lincolnshire
4 Tendring 013 Tendring
5 Newport 004 Newport

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jacobi

These lists show first names that appear often with the Jacobi surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jacobi

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jacobi, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Jacobi surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Jacobi household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Jacobi is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jacobi is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jacobi falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jacobi is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Jacobi, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Jacobi

The surname Jacobi originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Hebrew name Jacob, which means "supplanter" or "one who follows." The name was widely adopted across Europe during the spread of Christianity.

Jacobi is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally formed by adding a suffix to the given name Jacob to indicate "son of Jacob." In German, the suffix -i or -y was commonly used to create these surnames. Variations of the spelling include Jakobi, Jacoby, and Jacobs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jacobi can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the 13th century, which mentions a "Henricus Jacobi" in Saxony. The name also appears in church records and tax rolls from various regions of Germany during this time period.

In the 14th century, the surname Jacobi was associated with several notable individuals, including Johannes Jacobi, a German theologian and scholar who lived from 1305 to 1384, and Nicolaus Jacobi, a German astronomer and mathematician born in 1363.

During the Renaissance, the Jacobi name gained further prominence. One of the most famous bearers of the name was the German philosopher and mathematician Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi, who lived from 1804 to 1851 and made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and theoretical physics.

Other notable individuals with the surname Jacobi include the German novelist and dramatist Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi (1743-1819), the Swiss-German philosopher and theologian Friedrich Justin Jacobi (1743-1819), and the German painter and printmaker Otto Jacobi (1803-1855).

In the 19th century, the Jacobi surname spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with individuals bearing the name leaving their mark in various fields, such as the German-American composer Frederick Jacobi (1891-1952) and the Russian-American physicist Boris Jacobi (1892-1973).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jacobi families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jacobi surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 45 Jacobis recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.07x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 45 6.07x
Surrey 16 4.43x
Suffolk 10 11.08x
Kent 1 0.40x
Lancashire 1 0.11x
Midlothian 1 1.01x
Worcestershire 1 1.03x
Yorkshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Limehouse London in Middlesex leads with 9 Jacobis recorded in 1881 and an index of 110.57x.

Place Total Index
Limehouse London 9 110.57x
Whitton 9 5625.00x
Putney 8 236.69x
Lambeth 6 9.28x
Shoreditch London 6 18.67x
St Pancras London 6 10.06x
Hornsey 5 53.36x
Whitechapel London 5 68.40x
Chiswick 4 98.77x
Hammersmith London 3 16.43x
Mile End Old Town London 3 19.02x
Paddington London 2 7.34x
Battersea 1 3.67x
Blockley 1 181.82x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 37.88x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 51.28x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 32.68x
North Meols 1 11.61x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 6.71x
St Giles In Fields London 1 27.47x
Warley 1 47.17x
Westminster St James 1 13.12x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Jacobi surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 8
Emily 3
Adelaide 2
Alice 2
Annie 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Louisa 2
Minnie 2
Amalia 1
Avice 1
Berthe 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Franceska 1
Josephine 1
Madeline 1
Margaret 1
Marguerite 1
Maria 1
Marie 1
Martha 1
Pauline 1
Regena 1
Thora 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Jacobi surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Charles 3
Anton 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Julius 2
Maurice 2
Adolph 1
Alavas 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Henri 1
Johnny 1
Louis 1
Max 1
Oscar 1
Robert 1
Selley 1
William 1
Wm.G. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Jacobi households.

FAQ

Jacobi surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jacobi surname in 1881?

In 1881, 76 people were recorded with the Jacobi surname. That placed it at #22,745 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jacobi surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016. That gives Jacobi a modern rank of #26,401.

What does the Jacobi surname mean?

Derived from the given name Jacob, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows on the heels of another."

What does the Jacobi map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Jacobi bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.