A male name. Hebrew ăqōb 'following after’, 'supplanter'; the name of the younger s. of Isaac, who supplanted his elder brother Esau. The name was a favourite one among the Jews, and was borne by two of the apostles, ăqōb became in Greek ’Ιάκωβος, in Latin Jacōbus, but in late Latin it became Ja-cŏbus or Ja-cŏmus from the former of which developed the Italian Jacopo, Giacobbe, Spanish Jaco, Jago or Iago, French Jacques, English Jacob; from the latter come Spanish Jayme, Italian Iachimo, Giacomo, Provençal Jaume, Jacme, Old French James, Gemmes, English James, Jem, Jim. See farther under James. Jacob is found four times in England before the Conquest, but always as the name of an ecclesiastic. After the Conquest there is little evidence of the use of Jacob except occasionally as the name of a Jew, though English Register of Godstow Nunnery, c. 1450 (E.E.T.S. 129-30) 1450 has ‘St Philip and St Jacob’. Jacobus was, of course, the almost invariable form of' James, &c., in Latin documents, and the surnames Jacob, Jacobs, Jacoby, if not of Jewish origin, sure probably from the Latin (cf. the surnames Widdow, Widow, &c., from Wydo for Guy). The general use of Jacob as a christian name dates from the Reformation, and is due to the fact that the English translators of the Bible, while using the English form James for the two apostles, retained Jacob for the patriarch.

Hebrew, ‘a supplanter.’ Jacob, the patriarch, is noted for his dream and for his twelve sons, who founded the twelve tribes of Israel. See also James.

The Scripture name, in Hebrew יַעֲקֹב, Yaakob, which Tregelles translates ‘taking hold of the heel, sup-planter, layer of snares;’ and Fuerstius, ‘heel-holder, i. e. fraudulent person.’

Hebrew (masculine) - Beguiling.

Jay'-kob, he that supplants, the heel. 1. The son of Isaac and Rebecca, born A. M. 2167. Gen. xxv. 26. See his history in the book of Genesis. 2. The son of Matthan, the father of Joseph, the reputed father of Christ Matt i. 16.

Meaning: he will take by the heel.

A Hebrew name, meaning: He followeth after: supplanter.