Does anyone know the ethnic background of this Name?

Question

I am trying to find out what nationality the name Jacob is? This is a last name.

Answer 1

It's Hebrew for supplanter!

=)

Answer 2

Jacob is a Hebrew name, but that fact doesn't necessarily mean that someone with that last name is Jewish, since Biblical names are used in most Christian countries, and last names are often taken from first names.  There's a good chance that the family name was changed from some other language's version of Jacob, such as the Armenian Hagopian.  However, if  the family has been in the US for several generations and the name has been Jacob as far back as you can trace, there's a good chance that it's Welsh.  Until relatively modern times, it was the practice in many parts of Wales for a man's children to have his given name as their last name.  The same practice is still followed in some areas of Ethiopia.  Your best bet might be to look at old census records for members of the particular Jacob family that you're interested in.  These usually give each person's place of birth and sometimes that of his/her parents, as well.

Answer 3

Jacob surname meaning :-

Jewish, English, German, Portuguese, French, Dutch, and South Indian.

Derivative of the Latin Jacobus, from the Hebrew personal name "ya‘aqobh" - "Yaakov".

Answer 4

This came from www.ancestry.com

Jacob Name Meaning and History

Jewish, English, German, Portuguese, French, Dutch, and southern Indian: derivative, via Latin Jacobus, from the Hebrew personal name ya‘aqobh (Yaakov). In the Bible, this is the name of the younger twin brother of Esau (Genesis 25:26), who took advantage of the latter’s hunger and impetuousness to persuade him to part with his birthright ‘for a mess of potage’. The name is traditionally interpreted as coming from Hebrew akev ‘heel’, and Jacob is said to have been born holding on to Esau’s heel. In English Jacob and James are now regarded as quite distinct names, but they are of identical origin (see James), and in most European languages the two names are not distinguished. It is used as a given name among Christians in India, and in the U.S. has come to be used as a surname among families from southern India.

hope this helps.

Answer 5

I would guess Hebrew but not sure.

Answer 6

Jewish, English, German, Portuguese, French, Dutch, and southern Indian.  Not to mention names Americanized to Jacob by immigrants from various other countries.  If you want to know your heritage, you will have to do some research.