Yakov

Yakov is a masculine given name used in Slavic-language communities and among Jewish populations. It is the Slavic form of the Hebrew name Ya’akov, which in English is typically rendered as Jacob. The name has religious heritage, being associated with the biblical patriarch Jacob in Judaism and Christianity.

Etymology and meaning: Ya’akov is commonly interpreted as having the sense of “holder of the heel” or “supplanter,” reflecting the biblical story in which Jacob gains his brother Esau’s blessing by design. Over time, the name came to be associated with the quality of steadfastness and ancestral lineage in various cultures.

Usage and variants: Yakov is most common in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and other Slavic regions. It has numerous transliterations and variants in different languages, including Jakub (Polish, Czech, Slovak), Jakob (German, Scandinavian languages), Jakov (Serbo-Croatian), and Yaakov (Hebrew). Diminutives and affectionate forms vary by language. In Jewish and Christian communities, forms of Jacob/Ya’akov are frequently used, sometimes adapted to local speech patterns.

Notable individuals: Historical and contemporary figures named Yakov appear across fields, including Yakov Sverdlov (1870–1919), a Russian revolutionary and early Soviet official, and Yakov Smirnoff (born 1936), a Russian-born American comedian. The name also appears in literature, academia, and public life in various Slavic and Jewish communities.

See also: Jacob (name) for related etymology and cognate forms in other languages.