Yakub

Yakub is a male given name used in various cultures and languages. It often derives from the Hebrew name Ya'akov (Jacob) and has numerous transliterations, including Yaqub, Yaqob, Yaqoub, and Yakup. The name appears in many Muslim, Jewish, Ethiopian, Turkish, Indian, andSlavic naming traditions, sometimes as a standalone given name and other times as part of longer forms.

In the Nation of Islam, Yakub refers to a mythic figure central to a specific doctrinal narrative. According to its teachings, Yakub was a black scientist who lived thousands of years ago and engineered the creation of white people through selective breeding. This story has been a distinctive, though controversial, element of NOI lore and has been the subject of extensive analysis and debate in media and academic discussions. It is not a mainstream religious belief shared by most Muslims or scholars of Islam, and its interpretations vary within and outside the NOI movement.

As a given name, Yakub covers a broad cultural field beyond any single religion or movement. Variants such as Yaqub and Yaqub appear across Arab-speaking and Muslim-majority regions, as well as in Ethiopian and South Asian communities, reflecting a common linguistic heritage linked to the biblical Jacob. In everyday usage, the name carries its general significance as a personal identifier, with cultural and linguistic adaptations shaping its pronunciation and spelling.