Same Name?!--Jacob

Jacob--a seeming contradiction; both traditional and trendy. It was a top name back when the SSA started keeping track over 120 years ago, but was steadily on the decline. For some reason, it shot back to the top in the 1970s, and has been there ever since. Jacob wasn't exactly the most honorable of Biblical characters to be sure, but he has that eye-catching J up front, that fun-to-say 'ay', that crisp 'c', and that rare 'ob' ending. The mixture of familiar and unusual is probably what's kept him so appealing for so long. Jacob is also the original form of another perennial boys' name--James.

Original Hebrew form: Ya'aqov [יַעֲקֹב] (ya-ah-kov)
Greek form: Iacobus [ Ιακωβος] (ya-COH-boos)
Later Latin form: Iacomus (YA-coh-moos)

Modern versions:

• Cobus (KOH-bus)--Dutch
• Diego (dee-AY-go)--Spanish (via Santiago, an elision of Santo [Saint] Yago)
• Giacomo (JAH-koh-moh)--Italian
• Hamish (HAY-mish)--Scottish (from James)
• Iago (ee-AH-goh)--Galician & Welsh
• Jacques (ZHAHK)--French
• Jago (JAY-goh)--Cornish
• Jaime (HYE-may)--Spanish (from James)
• Jaime (ZHIME)--Portuguese (from James)
• James (JAYMZ)--English (via the late Latin Iacomus)
• Japik (YAH-pik)--Frisian
  
• Jaume (ZHOW-meh)--Catalan (from James)
• Jem (JEM)--medieval English (from James)
• Kimo (kee-moh)--Hawaiian (from James)
• Seamus (SHAY-mus)--Irish (from James)
• Tiago (tee-AH-go)--Portuguese (via Santiago)
• Xanti (SHAHN-tee)--Basque (via Santiago)
• Yago (YAH-goh)--Spanish
• Yacov (YAH-kof)--Bulgarian & Russian
  

Feminine forms:

• Giachetta (jah-KET-tah)--Italian
• Jacomina (ZHAK-oh-mee-nah)--Dutch
• Jacqueline (zhak-a-LEEN)--French
• Jamesina (JAY-meh-SEE-nah)--Scottish (from James)
• Jayma (JAY-mah)--English (from James)
• Zaklina (zhak-LEE-nah)--Croatian & Polish