Fun Facts About the Name Jake
- A favorite of earlier generations: Jake appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 5 years. Its last run lasted 2 consecutive years, from 2003 through 2004.
- More than 129 thousand babies named Jake: U.S. records list 129,538 babies given the name Jake from 1880 through 2025. Even 217 girls received the name Jake - about 1 girl for every 596 boys.
What Does the Name Jake Mean?
Jake is an English short form of Jacob, a name from Hebrew Yaʿaqov (יַעֲקֹב). Its customary meaning is "supplanter," and a related literal sense is "heel-holder." The Hebrew name is connected with the root ʿaqav, meaning "heel" or "to supplant," and in the biblical account Jacob is born grasping his twin brother's heel and later takes Esau's birthright and blessing. Because the Hebrew etymology is not fully certain, some scholars have proposed that Yaʿaqov may instead be a shortened form of a longer name meaning "may God protect," but this explanation is not universally accepted. Jake inherits the meaning and origin of Jacob rather than having a separate etymology of its own.
Jake Name History & Origins
Jake is an English short form of Jacob. The parent name reached English through a chain of languages: Hebrew Yaʿaqov (יַעֲקֹב) was rendered in Greek as Iakōb (Ἰακώβ) and later Iakōbos (Ἰάκωβος), which became Latin Iacobus. From Latin it passed into medieval European languages, including Old French, and from Old French into English. The English name James also descends from Iacobus by a different route, so James and Jacob are related, but Jake is a short form of Jacob specifically. It is not a form of Jack; Jack traditionally comes from John.
English pet names often clip a longer name and add a final -k sound, as in Dick from Richard or Jack from John. Jake follows that pattern with Jacob. It also became a surname derived from the given name. In the 20th century Jake became more common as an independent given name in the United States and other English-speaking countries, used on its own rather than only as a nickname. In Hebrew the full name remains Yaʿaqov, with Kobi as a common informal short form; Jake itself is an English development.
A notable literary use is Jake Barnes, the narrator of Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises (1926). That use draws on an already familiar English name rather than marking its origin.
How Popular is the Name Jake?
Jake recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2004. Jake ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1999 through 2001, then returned in 2003 and remained through 2004.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | #17,303 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #15,747 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #10,984 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #18,669 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #10,184 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #7,987 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2003 | #9,972 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #14,225 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #12,315 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #11,862 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #11,620 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #9,335 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #9,921 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #9,047 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #6,118 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1993 | #9,938 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #9,827 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #10,710 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #8,114 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #6,019 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1987 | #8,283 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #5,898 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1985 | #11,310 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #11,031 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #10,206 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1917 | #3,900 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #457 | 682 | 0.0399% |
| 2024 | #422 | 743 | 0.0433% |
| 2023 | #408 | 782 | 0.0458% |
| 2022 | #405 | 790 | 0.0453% |
| 2021 | #337 | 969 | 0.0554% |
| 2020 | #320 | 1,035 | 0.0600% |
| 2019 | #294 | 1,175 | 0.0655% |
| 2018 | #263 | 1,379 | 0.0760% |
| 2017 | #249 | 1,503 | 0.0812% |
| 2016 | #242 | 1,586 | 0.0836% |
| 2015 | #207 | 1,922 | 0.1003% |
| 2014 | #190 | 2,171 | 0.1130% |
| 2013 | #166 | 2,449 | 0.1295% |
| 2012 | #153 | 2,679 | 0.1413% |
| 2011 | #129 | 3,110 | 0.1638% |
| 2010 | #115 | 3,440 | 0.1793% |
| 2009 | #125 | 3,386 | 0.1707% |
| 2008 | #111 | 3,795 | 0.1860% |
| 2007 | #112 | 3,882 | 0.1871% |
| 2006 | #108 | 4,028 | 0.1960% |
| 2005 | #103 | 4,153 | 0.2079% |
| 2004 | #98 | 4,471 | 0.2253% |
| 2003 | #98 | 4,405 | 0.2230% |
| 2002 | #102 | 3,792 | 0.1953% |
| 2001 | #100 | 3,838 | 0.1975% |
| 2000 | #96 | 4,091 | 0.2083% |
| 1999 | #97 | 3,936 | 0.2050% |
| 1998 | #102 | 3,788 | 0.1982% |
| 1997 | #101 | 3,840 | 0.2037% |
| 1996 | #114 | 3,449 | 0.1821% |
| 1995 | #108 | 3,510 | 0.1844% |
| 1994 | #106 | 3,468 | 0.1795% |
| 1993 | #111 | 3,196 | 0.1630% |
| 1992 | #119 | 2,928 | 0.1466% |
| 1991 | #119 | 2,774 | 0.1373% |
| 1990 | #140 | 2,227 | 0.1084% |
| 1989 | #152 | 1,965 | 0.0982% |
| 1988 | #165 | 1,707 | 0.0892% |
| 1987 | #166 | 1,639 | 0.0878% |
| 1986 | #171 | 1,553 | 0.0843% |
| 1985 | #221 | 1,071 | 0.0579% |
| 1984 | #278 | 748 | 0.0414% |
| 1983 | #269 | 772 | 0.0431% |
| 1982 | #299 | 671 | 0.0370% |
| 1981 | #324 | 593 | 0.0331% |
| 1980 | #332 | 568 | 0.0318% |
| 1979 | #356 | 495 | 0.0288% |
| 1978 | #362 | 449 | 0.0273% |
| 1977 | #368 | 445 | 0.0271% |
| 1976 | #370 | 429 | 0.0273% |
| 1975 | #429 | 334 | 0.0214% |
| 1974 | #456 | 309 | 0.0197% |
| 1973 | #441 | 314 | 0.0201% |
| 1972 | #480 | 266 | 0.0164% |
| 1971 | #623 | 177 | 0.0100% |
| 1970 | #662 | 153 | 0.0082% |
| 1969 | #673 | 138 | 0.0077% |
| 1968 | #677 | 124 | 0.0071% |
| 1967 | #727 | 104 | 0.0060% |
| 1966 | #675 | 121 | 0.0068% |
| 1965 | #632 | 144 | 0.0077% |
| 1964 | #666 | 134 | 0.0067% |
| 1963 | #631 | 154 | 0.0076% |
| 1962 | #639 | 147 | 0.0071% |
| 1961 | #619 | 165 | 0.0078% |
| 1960 | #625 | 156 | 0.0073% |
| 1959 | #638 | 147 | 0.0069% |
| 1958 | #614 | 157 | 0.0074% |
| 1957 | #620 | 154 | 0.0071% |
| 1956 | #649 | 137 | 0.0065% |
| 1955 | #626 | 141 | 0.0068% |
| 1954 | #564 | 169 | 0.0083% |
| 1953 | #555 | 163 | 0.0083% |
| 1952 | #533 | 174 | 0.0090% |
| 1951 | #507 | 179 | 0.0095% |
| 1950 | #485 | 192 | 0.0107% |
| 1949 | #488 | 185 | 0.0104% |
| 1948 | #498 | 174 | 0.0099% |
| 1947 | #494 | 187 | 0.0102% |
| 1946 | #457 | 193 | 0.0119% |
| 1945 | #463 | 165 | 0.0123% |
| 1944 | #465 | 172 | 0.0126% |
| 1943 | #492 | 159 | 0.0111% |
| 1942 | #441 | 198 | 0.0143% |
| 1941 | #426 | 190 | 0.0155% |
| 1940 | #435 | 177 | 0.0153% |
| 1939 | #419 | 184 | 0.0166% |
| 1938 | #422 | 183 | 0.0165% |
| 1937 | #432 | 172 | 0.0161% |
| 1936 | #392 | 194 | 0.0187% |
| 1935 | #411 | 179 | 0.0172% |
| 1934 | #398 | 192 | 0.0186% |
| 1933 | #384 | 199 | 0.0201% |
| 1932 | #392 | 205 | 0.0196% |
| 1931 | #384 | 214 | 0.0206% |
| 1930 | #382 | 221 | 0.0201% |
| 1929 | #362 | 245 | 0.0228% |
| 1928 | #374 | 243 | 0.0219% |
| 1927 | #355 | 272 | 0.0241% |
| 1926 | #358 | 266 | 0.0240% |
| 1925 | #330 | 306 | 0.0274% |
| 1924 | #333 | 306 | 0.0270% |
| 1923 | #318 | 330 | 0.0301% |
| 1922 | #314 | 332 | 0.0305% |
| 1921 | #300 | 360 | 0.0327% |
| 1920 | #296 | 362 | 0.0340% |
| 1919 | #295 | 334 | 0.0341% |
| 1918 | #274 | 377 | 0.0372% |
| 1917 | #306 | 299 | 0.0323% |
| 1916 | #262 | 362 | 0.0407% |
| 1915 | #254 | 355 | 0.0418% |
| 1914 | #261 | 274 | 0.0418% |
| 1913 | #250 | 227 | 0.0443% |
| 1912 | #258 | 187 | 0.0435% |
| 1911 | #244 | 110 | 0.0487% |
| 1910 | #184 | 148 | 0.0762% |
| 1909 | #199 | 109 | 0.0665% |
| 1908 | #185 | 115 | 0.0745% |
| 1907 | #185 | 117 | 0.0797% |
| 1906 | #215 | 83 | 0.0623% |
| 1905 | #193 | 92 | 0.0695% |
| 1904 | #207 | 78 | 0.0609% |
| 1903 | #177 | 93 | 0.0780% |
| 1902 | #171 | 102 | 0.0832% |
| 1901 | #185 | 79 | 0.0742% |
| 1900 | #172 | 121 | 0.0804% |
| 1899 | #184 | 76 | 0.0716% |
| 1898 | #145 | 117 | 0.0954% |
| 1897 | #155 | 102 | 0.0905% |
| 1896 | #185 | 88 | 0.0736% |
| 1895 | #172 | 91 | 0.0775% |
| 1894 | #177 | 86 | 0.0743% |
| 1893 | #210 | 66 | 0.0588% |
| 1892 | #140 | 116 | 0.0951% |
| 1891 | #164 | 78 | 0.0771% |
| 1890 | #188 | 72 | 0.0649% |
| 1889 | #135 | 107 | 0.0968% |
| 1888 | #144 | 107 | 0.0885% |
| 1887 | #142 | 90 | 0.0887% |
| 1886 | #147 | 95 | 0.0858% |
| 1885 | #135 | 100 | 0.0928% |
| 1884 | #148 | 92 | 0.0804% |
| 1883 | #129 | 96 | 0.0918% |
| 1882 | #142 | 97 | 0.0853% |
| 1881 | #134 | 92 | 0.0913% |
| 1880 | #141 | 96 | 0.0869% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
