Declining since 2007, #3,240 for boys today.
Popularity of Jakub since 1981
Babies named Jakub per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 36 |
| 1990s | 462 |
| 2000s | 1,403 |
| 2010s | 901 |
| 2020s | 265 |
Meaning & origin
Jakub entered U.S. records in 1981 and saw its greatest usage in 2008, when it ranked highest. Since 2007, its trajectory has been falling, but it remains a familiar Slavic classic. The name is particularly concentrated in Illinois and New Jersey, reflecting communities of Czech and Polish heritage. Its international reach and strong roots in European tradition make it a recognizable choice outside its home countries.
Jakub is the Czech and Polish form of Jacob, derived from the Hebrew name Ya‘aqov (יַעֲקֹב). The Hebrew meaning is traditionally interpreted as 'he who supplants' from the root 'aqev (heel), referring to the biblical story of Jacob grasping Esau's heel. An alternative theory connects the name to the Northwest Semitic verb 'aqaba (to protect), giving 'may God protect.' The name has been widely used across Slavic-speaking Europe since the Middle Ages, often in honor of the apostle James (a later linguistic variant).
Where Jakub is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Jakub” around the world
Where Jakub lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
Ireland
10
babies in 2025
Sources: CSO Ireland (Ireland).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kuba, Jakoubek
Sibling names for Jakub
Names that share Jakub's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Eva, Anna, Marie, Zuzana, Karolina, Ania, Janina, Monika, Agata, Alicja, Dominika, Katarzyna, Klaudia, Kristyna, Zuzanna, Basia, Eliska, Kinga, Martyna, Michalina, Oliwia, Patrycja, Weronika, Wiktoria, Anastazja, Cecylia, Estera, Ewa, Ewelina, Gabryela, Justyna, Matylda, Sylwia, Zofia
Brothers: Jan, Tomas, Petr, Adam, Ondrej, Krystian, Lipa, Marek, Andrzej, Kacper, Krzysztof, Lukasz, Maksymilian, Mateusz, Patryk, Pawel, Szymon, Bartosz, Dawid, Maciej, Marcin, Mikolaj, Nikodem, Rafal, Tomasz, Franciszek, Matej, Matyas, Ondra
