Contents [hide]

Jacob History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Jacob History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Spain
Ireland

Etymology of Jacob

What does the name Jacob mean?

The name Jacob is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from the baptismal name Jacob. The surname Jacob referred to the son of Jacob which belongs to the category of patronymic surnames.

"The medieval surname was not Jewish. Jacob is found before the Conquest as the name of an ecclesiastic. After the Conquest, it is impossible to decide how common the name was as the Latin Jacobus was used for both Jacob and James." 1

Early Origins of the Jacob family

The surname Jacob was first found in Huntingdonshire where Jacob (with no forename) was listed c. 1250. The same rolls included Walter Jacob. Agnes Jacobes was found in Bedfordshire in 1244 and Alan Jacob was listed in the Feet of Fines for Kent in 1324. 1

"Nicholas Jacob was rector of Burgh in 1419; and William Jacob was a cavalier of Mendham in 1642; the name was also represented in Creeting in Suffolk in 1648. In the reign of Edward I. we find this name in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Oxfordshire." 2

Early History of the Jacob family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jacob research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1563, 1564, 1588, 1597, 1620, 1623, 1624, 1640, 1641, 1662, 1666, 1667, 1675, 1679, 1688, 1692, 1693, 1703, 1722 and 1739 are included under the topic Early Jacob History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jacob Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Jacob include Jacobs, Jacob and others.

Early Notables of the Jacob family

Distinguished members of the family include

Henry Jacob (1563-1624), an English Sectary, born in 1563, the son of John Jacob, yeoman, of Cheriton, Kent (parish register). 3
George Jacobs, Sr. (c.1620-1692), was accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in 1692, and was found guilty and hanged on August 19, 1692. A painting entitled "Trial of George Jacobs, Augu...
Robert Jacob (d. 1588), was an English physician, eldest son of Giles Jacob of London, was entered at Merchant Taylors' School on 21 Jan. 1563-1564. 3
Sir John Jacob, 1st Baronet (c.1597-1666), was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1640 and 1641
William Jacob (c. 1623-1692), was an English physician and politician, Member of Parliament for Canterbury in 1679
Hildebrand Jacob (1693-1739), was an English poet, born in 1693, the only son of Colonel Sir John Jacob, third Baronet, of Bromley, Kent. He was named after his mother's brother, Hildebrand Alington...
Joseph Jacob (1667?-1722), was a Sectary, born of Quaker parents about 1667, was apprenticed to a linendraper in London, and early showed a keen interest in politics. In 1688, shortly after his coming...

Jacob World Ranking

In the United States, the name Jacob is the 1,894^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Jacob is ranked the 836^th most popular surname with an estimated 6,407 people with that name. 5 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Jacob is the 529^th popular surname. 6 France ranks Jacob as 171^st with 19,579 people. 7

Migration of the Jacob family to Ireland

Some of the Jacob family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jacob migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Jacob Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nicholas Jacob, who landed in Boston in 1633 aboard the ship "Elizabeth Bonaventure", bound for Hingham, Massachusetts 8
Andrew Jacob, who landed in Virginia in 1635 8
Richard Jacob, who arrived New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Mary & John", bound for Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1635 8
Mr. Henry Jacob, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship "Paul" in 1635 9
Martha Jacob, who arrived in Virginia in 1642 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Jacob Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Caleb Jacob, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1708 8
Christian Jacob, who settled in America in 1709
Hans Jacob, who landed in New York in 1709 8
Johan Jacob, who landed in New York in 1709 8
Johannes Jacob, who arrived in America in 1709 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Jacob Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Marcus Jacob, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1800 8
Salmon Jacob, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1800 8
Day Jacob, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 8
Mathew Jacob, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1837 8
Adam Jacob, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Jacob Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Fritz Jacob, who landed in Arkansas in 1905 8

Jacob migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Jacob Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Benjamin Jacob, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749

Jacob Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Miss. Ellen Jacob who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Margaret" departing 19th May 1847 from New Ross, Ireland; the ship arrived on 2nd July 1847 but she died on board 10

Jacob migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Jacob Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Mary Jacob, (b. 1797), aged 21, Irish nurse maid who was convicted in Kilkenny, Ireland for 7 years for house robbery, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 26th July 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1858 11
Taylor Jacob, English convict from Suffolk, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on July 3, 1822, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 12
John Jacob, English convict from Surrey, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on November 13, 1832, settling in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. James Jacob, Jr., English convict who was convicted in Suffolk, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Augusta Jessie" on 10th August 1838, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
Mr. John Jacob, English convict who was convicted in Canterbury (St. Augustines), Kent, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Jacob migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Jacob Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

S.W. Jacob, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "John Scott" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 7th March 1858 16
J. Jacob, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "John Scott" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 7th March 1858 16
Miss Emma Jacob, (b. 1863), aged 11, Cornish settler departing on 10th September 1874 aboard the ship "Cospatrick" to Auckland, New Zealand the ship was lost at sea killing everyone on board 17
Mr. John Jacob, (b. 1827), aged 47, Cornish labourer departing on 10th September 1874 aboard the ship "Cospatrick" to Auckland, New Zealand the ship was lost at sea killing everyone on board 17
Mr. John Jacob, (b. 1853), aged 21, Cornish miner departing on 10th September 1874 aboard the ship "Cospatrick" to Auckland, New Zealand the ship was lost at sea killing everyone on board 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Jacob (post 1700) +

Walter Jacob (1930-2024), American rabbi
Zachariah Jacob, American politician, Mayor of Wheeling, Virginia, 1824-28, 1834-36 18
Thomas F. Jacob, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, 1898-1901 19
Ted Jacob, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 18th District, 1978 20
Marion Jacob, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 24th District, 1996 21
Stephen Jacob, American politician, U.S. Attorney for Vermont, 1791-97; Justice of Vermont State Supreme Court, 1801-02 22
Ken Jacob, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 2000; Candidate for Missouri State House of Representatives 44th District, 2012 23
John Jeremiah Jacob (1829-1893), American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Hampshire County, 1869; Governor of West Virginia, 1871-77 24
John J. Jacob Jr., American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Ohio County, 1885-86 24
John J. Jacob, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Ohio County, 1879 24
... (Another 35 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Jacob family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Alfred Henry Jacob (d. 1914), British Bedroom Steward from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 25

USS Indianapolis

Melvin Carl Jacob (1926-2017), American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he survived the sinking 26

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 81)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 155 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1822
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Andromeda voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1832 with 186 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1832
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 23rd August 2020 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/augusta-jessie
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Auckland 1872-80 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) Zachariah Jacob. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) Thomas Jacob. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) Ted Jacob. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) Marion Jacob. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) Stephen Jacob. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) Ken Jacob. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) John Jacob. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew