Rising since 2000, #3,089 for boys today.
Popularity of Yaqub since 2000
Babies named Yaqub per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 2000s | 119 |
| 2010s | 293 |
| 2020s | 230 |
Meaning & origin
Yaqub, the Arabic form of Jacob, has been modestly present in U.S. birth records since 2000, reflecting growing Muslim American communities. As of 2025, it ranks 3089th with a 1-in-43797 occurrence rate, having risen steadily since its first recorded appearance in U.S. data in 2000. The name reached its peak popularity in 2019, and it is most commonly found in New York and California, states with large Muslim populations. The trajectory indicates a rising trend, sustained for over a decade, with the 2010s showing particular growth. Parents are drawn to its strong prophetic associations in the Islamic tradition, where Yaqub is revered as a prophet, while the name's sound and structure align with other popular Arabic names like Yusuf and Ibrahim.
Yaqub is the Arabic form of Jacob, from Hebrew Ya'aqov, meaning 'he will reward' or 'he will follow.' It is the name of a prophet in Islam, corresponding to the biblical Jacob, and has been used by Arabic-speaking Muslims for centuries. The name entered limited use in the United States with Muslim immigrants in the late 20th century.
Where Yaqub is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Yaqub” around the world
Where Yaqub lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Yak, Yaki
Sibling names for Yaqub
Names that share Yaqub's style, for a brother or sister.
