Meaning & Origin
A male given name from Hebrew, variant of Jacob.
Yaacov is a boy's baby name of Hebrew origin, the original Hebrew form of Jacob — from Yaʿaqov, meaning 'supplanter' or 'he who follows at the heel,' from the story of Jacob being born holding his twin Esau's heel. It is one of the most ancient and sacred names in Jewish tradition.
Yaacov is the authentic Hebrew spelling, preferred in Israeli and traditional Jewish communities over the anglicized Jacob. The patriarch Jacob — who became Israel after wrestling with God — makes this one of the most theologically significant names in the entire biblical tradition.