NameCensus.

UK surname

Jacobs

Derived from the given name Jacob, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows," often indicating a son of Jacob.

In the 1881 census there were 7,152 people recorded with the Jacobs surname, ranking it #592 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10,995, ranked #582, up from #592 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Botolph Aldgate, St George in the East and Christ Church Spitalfields. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnet, Suffolk Coastal and Bury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jacobs is 11,440 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.7%.

1881 census count

7,152

Ranked #592

Modern count

10,995

2016, ranked #582

Peak year

2010

11,440 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jacobs had 7,152 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #592 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 10,995 in 2016, ranked #582.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 10,474 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Jacobs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jacobs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jacobs 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 3,934 #728
1861 historical 4,259 #664
1881 historical 7,152 #592
1891 historical 7,932 #558
1901 historical 9,859 #531
1911 historical 10,474 #464
1997 modern 10,699 #579
1998 modern 11,107 #577
1999 modern 11,135 #580
2000 modern 11,103 #581
2001 modern 10,800 #583
2002 modern 11,054 #580
2003 modern 10,848 #579
2004 modern 10,804 #580
2005 modern 10,662 #580
2006 modern 10,699 #580
2007 modern 10,869 #575
2008 modern 10,891 #581
2009 modern 11,193 #576
2010 modern 11,440 #577
2011 modern 11,166 #583
2012 modern 10,955 #581
2013 modern 11,124 #581
2014 modern 11,199 #582
2015 modern 11,068 #580
2016 modern 10,995 #582

Geography

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Where Jacobs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Botolph Aldgate, St George in the East, Christ Church Spitalfields, London parishes and St Mary Whitechapel. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnet, Suffolk Coastal, Bury and Harrow. 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 St Botolph Aldgate London (Central Districts)
2 St George in the East London (East Districts)
3 Christ Church Spitalfields London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 1
5 St Mary Whitechapel London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnet 014 Barnet
2 Suffolk Coastal 012 Suffolk Coastal
3 Bury 026 Bury
4 Harrow 002 Harrow
5 Barnet 033 Barnet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jacobs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jacobs

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jacobs, 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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Jacobs surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Jacobs household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Jacobs is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jacobs is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jacobs falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jacobs is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Jacobs

The surname Jacobs is of Hebrew origin, derived from the biblical patriarch Jacob, whose name translates to "supplanter" or "one who follows". It is believed that this name was initially adopted by Jewish families as a patronymic, indicating descent from an ancestor named Jacob.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Jacobs can be traced back to the 12th century in medieval England, where it was rendered as "Jacobus" or "Jacobi" in Latin documents. These early spellings reflect the name's Hebrew roots and its subsequent adoption by Jewish communities in various European countries.

As Jewish communities migrated and settled across Europe, the surname Jacobs evolved into different regional variations, such as Jakobs in Germany, Jacobs or Jacobs in the Netherlands, and Jacobson or Jacobsen in Scandinavia. These variations often incorporated local suffixes or patronymic endings.

One notable historical reference to the surname Jacobs can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, England, from 1327, which lists a John Jacobi as a taxpayer. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of 1195 mention a Richard Jacobi, indicating the early presence of the name in England during the medieval period.

Among the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Jacobs are Joseph Jacobs (1854-1916), an Australian-born Jewish writer and folklorist known for his collections of English fairy tales and fables. Another notable figure is William Wymark Jacobs (1863-1943), an English author best remembered for his horror short story "The Monkey's Paw".

Other prominent individuals bearing the surname Jacobs include Jane Jacobs (1916-2006), an influential American-Canadian writer and urban theorist who championed community-based approaches to city planning. Alastair Jacobs (1925-2018) was a British architect and designer known for his innovative work in public housing and urban renewal projects.

In the world of sports, Brandon Jacobs (born 1982) is a former American football running back who played for the New York Giants and won two Super Bowl championships. Lastly, Sir Michael Jacobs (1936-2014) was a British businessman and philanthropist who served as the chairman of the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Opera House.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jacobs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jacobs 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 2,301 Jacobs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.29x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 2,301 3.29x
Hampshire 720 5.02x
Surrey 501 1.47x
Suffolk 321 3.77x
Kent 320 1.34x
Somerset 243 2.16x
Norfolk 241 2.24x
Yorkshire 229 0.33x
Lancashire 219 0.26x
Essex 194 1.40x
Cambridgeshire 147 3.32x
Dorset 137 2.98x
Warwickshire 130 0.74x
Sussex 122 1.03x
Gloucestershire 121 0.88x
Cornwall 110 1.39x
Devon 103 0.71x
Wiltshire 102 1.65x
Berkshire 92 1.75x
Glamorgan 90 0.74x
Oxfordshire 83 1.92x
Staffordshire 75 0.32x
Durham 69 0.33x
Monmouthshire 66 1.30x
Northamptonshire 50 0.76x
Northumberland 39 0.37x
Cheshire 34 0.22x
Huntingdonshire 30 2.16x
Derbyshire 26 0.24x
Lincolnshire 25 0.22x
Pembrokeshire 25 1.12x
Buckinghamshire 24 0.57x
Hertfordshire 24 0.50x
Leicestershire 20 0.26x
Lanarkshire 18 0.08x
Renfrewshire 18 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 17 0.18x
Channel Islands 15 0.72x
Bedfordshire 14 0.39x
Worcestershire 12 0.13x
Royal Navy 10 1.20x
Cardiganshire 7 0.41x
Shropshire 6 0.10x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.14x
Midlothian 4 0.04x
Argyllshire 3 0.15x
Flintshire 3 0.16x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.07x
Cumberland 2 0.03x
Herefordshire 2 0.07x
Berwickshire 1 0.12x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.06x
Inverness-shire 1 0.05x
Radnorshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town London in Middlesex leads with 232 Jacobs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.58x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town London 232 15.58x
Spitalfields London 203 38.57x
Islington London 164 2.42x
Whitechapel London 146 21.17x
Lambeth 135 2.21x
St Pancras London 124 2.20x
St George In East London 118 17.93x
Bethnal Green London 117 3.85x
Paddington London 116 4.51x
Kensington London 107 2.75x
Brading 87 45.64x
St Botolph Aldgate London 83 57.59x
West Ham 79 2.59x
Portsea 76 2.70x
Shoreditch London 73 2.41x
Hackney London 71 1.81x
Bedminster 69 6.52x
Camberwell 69 1.54x
Newington 67 2.59x
Birmingham 59 1.00x
Plumstead 55 6.91x
Aston 53 1.09x
St Marylebone London 53 1.42x
Battersea 49 1.90x
Mile End New Town London 46 33.27x
Liverpool 45 0.89x
Northwood 44 21.54x
Southwark St George Martyr 41 2.91x
Brighton 40 1.68x
Chelsea London 38 1.80x
St Paul Covent Garden 36 51.41x
Edgefield 34 296.43x
Deptford St Paul 33 1.79x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 33 33.32x
Plymouth St Andrew 32 2.85x
Shepton Mallet 32 25.32x
Bishopwearmouth 30 1.68x
Bromley London 30 1.95x
Minster In Sheppey 30 7.58x
St Helens 30 28.77x
Bow London 29 3.26x
Great Yarmouth 29 3.25x
St Woollos 29 5.14x
West Derby 29 1.19x
Havant 28 38.55x
Poplar London 27 2.04x
Ryde 27 8.76x
Dullingham 26 130.59x
Southampton St Mary 26 2.88x
St Ives 26 16.77x
Balsham 25 103.14x
Carisbrooke 25 12.55x
Clifton 25 3.60x
Headington 25 37.26x
Leeds 25 0.64x
Limehouse London 25 3.25x
Sutton 25 184.09x
West Parley 25 310.56x
Lewisham 24 1.89x
Basingstoke 23 13.94x
Millbrook 23 6.37x
St Clement Danes London 23 15.88x
St George Hanover Square 23 1.87x
Streatham 23 4.43x
Lanteglos By Fowey 22 68.24x
Burton Upon Trent 21 3.80x
Holy Trinity 21 1.26x
Lowestoft 21 5.22x
Ventnor 21 15.39x
Westminster St James 21 2.92x
Alverstoke 20 3.85x
Fulham London 20 1.97x
Hammersmith London 20 1.16x
Hampstead London 20 1.84x
St Martin In Fields 20 4.77x
Toxteth Park 20 0.71x
Whippingham 20 18.41x
Manchester 19 0.51x
St George Bloomsbury 19 4.73x
St Giles In Fields London 19 5.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 289
Sarah 241
Elizabeth 230
Eliza 109
Jane 106
Emma 99
Alice 97
Emily 96
Ellen 91
Ann 89
Annie 81
Fanny 78
Hannah 73
Louisa 65
Julia 56
Kate 55
Rebecca 55
Charlotte 52
Caroline 49
Esther 49
Florence 49
Maria 47
Harriet 44
Martha 43
Amelia 40
Rose 40
Catherine 36
Susan 35
Edith 34
Rachel 33
Ada 31
Frances 31
Anne 29
Matilda 26
Clara 25
Leah 25
Betsy 24
Sophia 24
Margaret 23
Minnie 22
Agnes 20
Harriett 20
Rosa 20
Rachael 19
Bessie 18
Lizzie 17
Susannah 17
Amy 16
Elizth. 16
Jessie 16

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 334
John 279
Henry 198
George 183
Charles 176
James 155
Thomas 128
Joseph 117
Alfred 78
Samuel 77
Edward 70
Arthur 65
Robert 63
Frederick 61
Isaac 61
Albert 54
David 51
Harry 50
Abraham 49
Walter 43
Jacob 37
Benjamin 35
Ernest 32
Frank 32
Herbert 30
Lewis 27
Morris 27
Daniel 26
Louis 25
Solomon 24
Richard 23
Mark 19
Edwin 18
Francis 15
Emanuel 14
Israel 14
Michael 14
Moses 14
Aaron 13
Maurice 13
Philip 13
Thos. 13
Wm. 13
Simon 12
Lawrence 11
Sydney 11
Alexander 10
Andrew 10
Julius 10
Phillip 10

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 Jacobs households.

FAQ

Jacobs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jacobs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,152 people were recorded with the Jacobs surname. That placed it at #592 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jacobs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 10,995 in 2016. That gives Jacobs a modern rank of #582.

What does the Jacobs surname mean?

Derived from the given name Jacob, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows," often indicating a son of Jacob.

What does the Jacobs map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Jacobs 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.