Jacob ranks at #497 with 244 entries, leaning male. The two-syllable shape (JAY-kub) is one of the most quintessentially human-name pet picks on the chart — Jacob was the #1 boys' name on the SSA chart from 1999 through 2012, and the pet version is showing up now with the typical lag pattern.
The biblical-name cohort
Jacob clusters with Levi, Noah, and Jonah in the Old Testament pet-naming family. Owners reaching for Jacob are giving their pet a person's name without any softening — no nickname, no diminutive ending, just the formal version. That's slightly unusual at this rank tier; most pet picks default to the affectionate short form.
The Twilight echo
A meaningful subset of younger owners come to Jacob through Jacob Black, the werewolf love-interest in the Twilight saga (novels 2005-2008, films 2008-2012). The character's wolf-shifter lineage gives the name a quiet pet-naming layer, especially for husky-mix and shepherd-mix dogs. Owners are rarely picking Jacob just for Twilight, but the layer is present.
Sound and breed lean
The two-syllable open shape projects well and is easy to call. Jacob lands across the breed spectrum without strong over-indexing — the name is too culturally clean to push toward any single register. The Jacob baby name page shows the SSA chart at its #1 plateau through the 2000s. Owners often shorten it to Jake at the dog park.