Jakub — Name Day, Meaning & Origin

Male Polish given name · 3938 births in 2024 (rank 8)

A biblical Polish male name, for years one of the most given to boys.

Pronunciation

/ˈja.kup/ · YAH-koop

Meaning

Jakub is the Polish form of the biblical name Yaakov, of Hebrew origin. It is traditionally rendered as "holder of the heel" or, figuratively, "the one who supplants", alluding to the story of the patriarch Jacob; it is also read as "may God protect".

Origin & history

The name has Hebrew roots and refers both to the Old Testament patriarch Jacob and to the apostles who bore it. It reached Poland with Christianity and has been present here for centuries. In recent decades Jakub has been among the most popular names given to boys.

Etymology

It comes from Hebrew Yaʿaqov, linked to the word for "heel" (akev) or to a root meaning "to protect". Through the Greek and Latin forms of the name arose variants such as Jacob and James.

Declension (Polish cases)

Nominative	Jakub
Genitive	Jakuba
Dative	Jakubowi
Accusative	Jakuba
Instrumental	Jakubem
Locative	Jakubie
Vocative	Jakubie

Name day (imieniny)

In Poland, Jakub celebrates its name day on 30 April, 25 July, 28 November.

Diminutives

Kuba, Kubuś, Kubek, Jakubek.

Forms in other languages

Equivalents in other languages include Jacob and James (English), Jakob (German), Jacques (French), Giacomo (Italian), Jaime and Yago (Spanish) and Jákob (Hungarian).

Notable people named Jakub

Jakub Wujek — Jesuit and translator, author of a classic Polish translation of the Bible.

Jakub Błaszczykowski — Polish footballer, a long-time national team winger.

Kuba Wojewódzki — Popular Polish journalist and talk-show host.

Popularity

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s Jakub was among the most frequently given boys' names in Poland.