The Latin word Jacobus comes from the Hebrew language and was a given name of Yaakov, which meant ‘Heel.’ Another meaning is one who supplants. The surname Jacobs comes from the given name of Jacob and means son of Jacob. It has traditionally been a very common name. Another form includes Jacobson. The varied spellings are Jacubs and Jakobs.

Those with the Jacobs surname primarily come from Germany, England, Preussen and Russia.

In the 1880s most Jacobs family members were farmers.

States of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois have the high populations for the Jacobs surname. In England just the London area and the county of Hampshire have high numbers of the Jacobs surname.

Famous: Bruce Jacobs (South African field hockey player), Herbert Jacobs (inventor of Jacobs Method for Crowd Measurement), Michael Jacobs (producer of films and TV shows), Brandon Jacobs (professional football player), Edgar P. Jacobs (writer from Belgium), Gary Jacobs (British professional boxer) and George Jacobs (American inventor of enamel insulation for magnet wire).