Total births
31,959
Boys' name · since 1957
Jakob
31,959 babies named Jakob in U.S. Social Security records since 1957, with the highest year being 2001. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1121
- among boys today
- 31,959
- born since 1957
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Jakob is the #1121 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 31,959 recorded since 1957.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Jakob has been recorded 31,959 times among boys since 1957, currently ranked #1121 nationally and more common than 92% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1957 to 2025.
- #1121 among boys today
- 31,959 born since 1957
- 2000s peak decade
- 92% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Jakob is currently the #1121 boys' name in America, more common than 92% of boys - 31,959 born since 1957, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1121
- among boys today
- 31,959
- born since 1957
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Jakob vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1121
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 92% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
46% of everyone ever named Jakob was born in this single decade.
2001
Single peak year
2,192 babies were named Jakob in 2001 - its busiest year on record.
How Jakob compares
31,959 Top 5% higher than 95% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Jakob's all-time total is 87x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jakob | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 31,959 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,192 | 23 | 22,252 |
Jakob's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Jakob's SSA record in two at 1993 and the more recent half accounts for 92% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 8%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1961, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2001 peak of 2,192, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Jakob at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2001
Current rank
#1,121
Active since
1957
Jakob popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1957–2025
- Peak year (2001)
- 2,192
- Annual births at peak, across 69 years of records
Jakob by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Jakob's strongest decade.
14,765 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Jakob births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 19
1950s
19 births
- 1960s 42
1960s
42 births
- 1970s 288
1970s
288 births
- 1980s 1,214
1980s
1,214 births
- 1990s
1990s
8,163 births
- 2000s
2000s
14,765 births
- 2010s
2010s
6,189 births
- 2020s 1,279
2020s
1,279 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 14,765 births (46% of all-time use).
How Jakob compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Jakob's total volume
Jakob vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Jakob by state
Where Jakob concentrates geographically, total births since 1957
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 3,805 | 11.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 2,626 | 8.2% |
| #3 | Florida | | 1,428 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 1,428 | 4.5% |
| #5 | New York | | 1,378 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 1,340 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 1,275 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 1,187 | 3.7% |
California share of Jakob's total US births 11.9%
Even split
3,805 of 31,959 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Jakob appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Jakob? ▼
31,959 babies have been named Jakob since 1957. It currently ranks #1121 among boys. The peak year was 2001 with 2,192 births.
When was Jakob most popular? ▼
Jakob was most popular in the 2000s decade with 14,765 total births. The single peak year was 2001.
Where is Jakob most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Jakob are California (3,805 births), Texas (2,626 births), Florida (1,428 births).
How long has the name Jakob been used? ▼
Jakob has been recorded in Social Security data since 1957, spanning 69 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Jakob? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Jake, Jakari, Jakobe, Jakai, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Jakob's data
- Jakob's decade-level peak was the 2000s (14,765 total births); usage has since declined to 1,279 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Jakobs (3,805 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Jakob
Nearby Names Like Jakob
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jakob
Jake Boy
#421 129,322 births
Jakari Boy
#647 5,312 births
Jakobe Boy
#1306 4,883 births
Jakai Boy
#646 4,059 births
Jakub Boy
#3130 3,067 births
Compare Jakob side by side: Jakob vs Jake Jakob vs Jakari Jakob vs Jakobe
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jakob
Dion #1120
18,914 births · Peak 1970
Aurelius #1122
1,764 births · Peak 2025
Blaine #1119
33,071 births · Peak 2001
Kristian #1123
20,814 births · Peak 1997
Draven #1118
7,715 births · Peak 2009
Coen #1124
4,506 births · Peak 2016
Makoa #1117
1,480 births · Peak 2024
Kalel #1125
4,400 births · Peak 2014
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1957–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Jakob: #1121 Boys' Name - 31,959 Births, Peak 2001." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/jakob. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Jakob draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.