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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Jacob m. Hebrew יעקב from Hebrew עקב 'heel'.

The name of one of the Biblical patriarchs of the Israelites, two of the 12 apostles, a 1st C saint, a 4th C Assyrian saint, a 5th C Persian saint, a 7th C Italian saint, a 9th C Spanish saint, two 13th C kings of Aragon, a 13th C king of Majorca, two 14th C kings of Majorca, three 15th C kings of Scotland, a 15th-16th C king of Scotland, a 16th C king of Scotland, and a 16th-17th C king of Scotland. Wycliffite Bible (1395): James.

The form James, which was pronounced with two syllables throughout the Middle Ages, developed in the British Isles from the Latinization Jacomus, which led in southern France to forms like Jacme. Iberian forms Diego, Diago developed as contractions of Santiago, the Spanish name for St. James.

Belgium
Latin
1212x1213 Iacobus (nom) OvdFB 2
Brabant
Latin
1312 Jacobi (gen) JeanIII p. 28
1312 Jacqueminus (nom) JeanIII p. 8
Czech Republic
Latin
1349 Jacobo (dat) chlumecky 21, Jacobus (nom) ibid. 141; 1350 Jacobus (nom) ibid. 193; 1353 Jacobus (nom) ibid. 7, p. 21; 1356 Jacob (nom) ibid. 149
1349 Jaclinum (acc) chlumecky 73; 1353 Jaklini (gen) ibid. 122
England
Latin
1189 Jacobus (nom) GASurv p. 77; 1300 Jacobus (nom) ProcSuf-vol3 p. 238; 1362 Jacobo (abl) SocAntNor-3-3 no. 35, Jacobum (acc) ibid. no. 35; 1381 Jacobum (acc) Suffolk1381 p. 114, Jacobus (nom) ibid. p. 76; 1406 Jacobum (acc) EEW p. 14; 1408 Jacobo (abl) ibid. p. 16; 1417–18 Iacobo (dat) ibid. p. 38, Iacobum (acc) ibid. p. 38; 1485–1486 Jacobo (abl) CovGuild-2 p. 55; 1530 Jacobo (dat) LIWill-III p. 32
Middle English
1417–18 Iacobbe EEW p. 38, Iamys ibid. p. 39; 1422 Iames ibid. p. 50; 1424–25 Iames ibid. p. 60; 1425 Iames ibid. p. 63; 1436 Iacobo ibid. p. 107
English
1530 Jamys LIWill-III p. 6; 1539 James BarnstapleBap p. 1, Jamys ibid. p. 1; 1540 James ibid. p. 1; 1541 James ibid. p. 2; 1542 James ibid. p. 2; 1543 James ibid. p. 3; 1544 James ibid. p. 4; 1545 James ibid. p. 4, StNick-Sf p. 2; 1546 James BarnstapleBap p. 5, StAnthonlin p. 5; 1547 James BarnstapleBap p. 5; 1548 James ibid. p. 6, StAnthonlin p. 7, Jeames ibid. p. 7; 1549 James ibid. p. 7; 1550 Jeames ibid. p. 8; 1551 James BarnstapleBap p. 6; 1552 James ibid. p. 7; 1553 James ibid. p. 7; 1554 James ibid. p. 8, bruton-vol1 p. 26; 1555 James BarnstapleBap p. 9; 1556 James ibid. p. 9; 1558 James SOmar-vol9 p. 1; 1559 James BarnstapleBap p. 10; 1560 James ibid. p. 10, OrpingtonKe p. 1; 1561 James BarnstapleBap p. 11, SaxhamSf p. 39, Jamys BarnstapleBap p. 11; 1562 James ibid. p. 11, OrpingtonKe p. 1, SaxhamSf p. 1, bruton-vol1 p. 4; 1563 James StAnthonlin p. 15; 1564 James OrpingtonKe p. 2; 1565 James ibid. p. 2, SaxhamSf p. 2; 1566 James ibid. p. 56, bruton-vol1 p. 35; 1567 Jacobus HAmar-vol9 p. 2; 1568 Jacob SaxhamSf p. 2; 1569 James CAmar-vol1 p. 2, StAnthonlin p. 20; 1570 James OrpingtonKe p. 3; 1571 James StAnthonlin p. 21, bruton-vol1 p. 39; 1573 Jacobus (nom) HAmar-vol9 p. 3, James COmar-vol2 p. 121, StAnthonlin p. 22, bruton-vol1 p. 40; 1574 Jacob StAnthonlin p. 24, James CAmar-vol1 p. 3; 1575 James COmar-vol2 p. 122, bruton-vol1 p. 42; 1576 James ibid. p. 42; 1577 Jacob StAnthonlin p. 26, James COmar-vol2 p. 122, Jeames BEmar-vol2 p. 129, HAmar-vol9 p. 68; 1578 James COmar-vol2 p. 122; 1579 James ibid. p. 122; 1580 James ibid. p. 122; 1581 James ibid. p. 49, DEmar-vol1 p. 84, DEmar-vol2 p. 6, StMary-Ke p. iv; 1582 James DEmar-vol1 p. 84, DEmar-vol2 p. 7; 1583 James ibid. p. 8, OrpingtonKe p. 6, Jams ibid. p. 6; 1584 James DEmar-vol2 p. 10, OrpingtonKe p. 7, bruton-vol1 p. 8; 1586 James DEmar-vol2 p. 12, OrpingtonKe p. 8, SaxhamSf p. 40; 1587 James BEmar-vol1 p. 12, DEmar-vol2 p. 13, StAnthonlin p. 32, bruton-vol1 p. 48; 1588 Jacob DEmar-vol2 p. 16, James BEmar-vol1 p. 12, DEmar-vol2 p. 15, OrpingtonKe p. 8, bruton-vol1 p. 48; 1589 James BEmar-vol2 p. 54, DEmar-vol2 p. 20, HAmar-vol9 p. 50, bruton-vol1 p. 9; 1590 James BEmar-vol2 p. 130, BUmar-vol2 p. 141, DEmar-vol2 p. 21, StAnthonlin p. 34, bruton-vol1 p. 49; 1591 James BEmar-vol1 p. 14, BEmar-vol2 p. 3, DEmar-vol2 p. 23, StAnthonlin p. 35; 1592 James CAmar-vol1 p. 5, DEmar-vol2 p. 24, OrpingtonKe p. 9, StAnthonlin p. 35, bruton-vol1 p. 51; 1593 Jacob DEmar-vol2 p. 28, James DEmar-vol1 p. 86, DEmar-vol2 p. 26, OrpingtonKe p. 9, StAnthonlin p. 36, bruton-vol1 p. 52; 1594 Diego DEmar-vol2 p. 29, James BEmar-vol2 p. 4; 1595 James BEmar-vol1 p. 16, DEmar-vol1 p. 87, DEmar-vol2 p. 32, HAmar-vol9 p. 140, OrpingtonKe p. 9, StAnthonlin p. 37, bruton-vol1 p. 54; 1596 Jacob DEmar-vol2 p. 33, James ibid. p. 33; 1597 Geames StAnthonlin p. 38, James DEmar-vol2 p. 36, bruton-vol1 p. 55; 1598 James BEmar-vol1 p. 17, BUmar-vol9 p. 10, bruton-vol1 p. 11; 1599 James BEmar-vol1 p. 17, bruton-vol1 p. 57
Estonia
Middle Low German
1378 Jacob BbRT p. 335; 1379x1383 Jacob ibid. p. 336; 1386 Jacob ibid. p. 338; 1387 Jacob ibid. p. 339; 1405 Jacob ibid. p. 344; 1406 Jacob ibid. p. 344; 1409 Jacob ibid. p. 345; 1416 Jacob ibid. p. 347; 1417 Jacob ibid. p. 348; 1425 Jakop ibid. p. 350; 1427 Jacob ibid. p. 351; 1428 Jakop ibid. p. 352; 1433 Jacop ibid. p. 356; 1434 Jacop ibid. p. 356; 1437 Jacop ibid. p. 360, Jacopp ibid. p. 361; 1440 Jacob ibid. p. 362; 1441 Jacob ibid. p. 363; 1442 Jachop ibid. p. 364; 1443 Iacob ibid. p. 365; 1592 Jacob Tiik1977 p. 288
1592 Jack Tiik1977 p. 287, Jaeck ibid. p. 288
France
Latin
1138x1148 Jacobus (nom) clairvaux-12thc 21; 1138x1162 Jacobo (abl) ibid. 60; 1147 Jacobi (gen) ibid. 17, Jacobus (nom) ibid. 16; 1147x1158 Jacobus (nom) ibid. 34; 1147x1162 Jacobus (nom) ibid. 55; 1152x1156 Jacobus (nom) ibid. 31; 1163 Jacobi (gen) ibid. 99; 1163–64 Jacobus (nom) ibid. 118; 1164 Jacobus (nom) ibid. 121; 1200 Jacobus (nom) CartNDdOurscamp LXXVII; 1206 Jacobus (nom) ibid.; 1221 Jacobi (gen) ibid. LXXIII; 1226 Jacobum (acc) ibid. LIX; 1251 Iacobo (dat) hennes-vol1 139; 1255 Jacobus (nom) ArrestReg-volI I, Candlemas; 1257 Jacobo (abl) ibid. XVI, Candlemas, Jacobus (nom) ibid. XVI, Candlemas; 1258 Jacobi (gen) ibid. XIX, BMV, Jacobum (acc) ibid. XXV, Pentecost; 1259 Jacobus (nom) ibid. IX, Pentecost; 1273 Iacobo (abl) RegToul-13thC p. 19; 1300 Jacobi (gen) CartNDdOurscamp LXIX; 1301 Iacobi (gen) MemPic-vol17 p. 200, Jacobi (gen) ibid. p. 178, Jacobo (abl) ibid. p. 207, Jacobus (nom) ibid. p. 176; 1378 Jacobi (gen) hanquetvol1 37, Jacobo (dat) ibid. 5, Jacobus (nom) ibid. 28; 1421 Jacobi (gen) favier p. 176
1274 Jaquetus (nom) RegToul-13thC p. 27; 1313 Jaquemino (abl) CartNDdOurscamp LXXXVIII; 1378 Coppini (gen) hanquetvol1 295
Old French
1296 Jaques paris1296 p. 7; 1301 Iake (obl) MemPic-vol17 p. 268, Jake (nom) ibid. p. 236, Jakes (nom) ibid. p. 236; 1313 Jacques Paris1313 p. 1, Jaques ibid. p. 4; 1327 Jacques lecoy p. 191
1296 Jaquet paris1296 p. 14; 1301 Iakemon (obl) MemPic-vol17 p. 268; 1313 Jacquet Paris1313 p. 44, Jaquelot ibid. p. 35, Jaquemart ibid. p. 6, Jaquemin ibid. p. 38, Jaquet ibid. p. 5; 1327 Jamet lecoy p. 183
Middle French
1388 Jacques thierry, Jaques ibid.; 1392 Jacques MemBret-II col. 598; 1418 Jaques HGParis p. 372; 1421 Jaques favier 30; 1423 Jaques ibid. 35; 1438 Jacob ibid., Jaques ibid. 168, Jaquob ibid. 379; 1588 Jacob raymond1588 p. 567, Jacques ibid. p. 569; 1595 Jacques Toureille
1388 Jacquet thierry; 1392 Jacobtin MemBret-II col. 613, Jacquemart ibid. col. 614, Jacquet ibid. col. 599, Jamet ibid. col. 611, Jaquemin ibid. col. 613; 1418 Copin HGParis p. 384, Jacot ibid. p. 378, Jacquet ibid. p. 378, Jaquemin ibid., Jaquet ibid. p. 372, Jaquin ibid. p. 375, Jaquot ibid. p. 373; 1421 Jacquet favier 23, Jamet ibid. 889, Jaquemin ibid. 222, Jaquet ibid. 18, Jaquin ibid. 180; 1423 Jacotin ibid. 21, Jaquet ibid. 26, Jaquin ibid. 241, Jaquinot ibid. 174, Jaquot ibid. 138; 1438 Jaquet ibid. 23
Germany
Latin
1219 Iacobus (nom) hennes-vol1 36; 1401 Jacobo (dat) HD1401 no. 48; 1414 Jacobum (acc) mairhofer DCXCVII; 1415 Jacobum (acc) ibid. DCCI; 1417 Jacobum (acc) ibid. DCCIV, Jacobus (nom) ibid. DCCIV; 1429 Jacobus (nom) ibid. DCCXXIX; 1540 jacobo (abl) quix-vol1 93
Early New High German
1404 Jacob (nom) mairhofer DCLXXVII; 1418 Jacob (nom) ibid. DCCVII; 1429 Jacob (nom) ibid. DCCXXXI, Jacoben (gen) ibid. DCCXXXII; 1497 Jacob Nurn1497 p. 2
Italy
Latin
1224 Iacobus (nom) hennes-vol1 65; 1265x1339 Iacobi (gen) BBC-Berg 41; 1277 Iacobus (nom) ibid. p. XLII; 1285 Iacobi (gen) Perugia1285 p. 154, Iacobus (nom) ibid. p. 154; 1293 Iacobus (nom) BBC-Berg p. XLIV; 1294 Iacobi (gen) ibid. p. XLV; 1298 Iacobi (gen) ibid. p. XLV; 1300 Iacobo (abl) ActDipVeneto-I-1 p. 50; 1301 Iacobus (nom) BBC-Berg p. XLV; 1303 Iacobus (nom) ibid. p. XLVI; 1324 Iacobus (nom) DSF p. 46, 3694; 1326 Jacobi (gen) Friuli-14thC no. 431, Jacobo (abl) ibid. no. 423, Jacobus (nom) ibid. no. 428; 1348 Iacobi (gen) INP 3, Iacobo (dat) ibid. 21, Iacobus (nom) ibid. 3; 1514 Jacobi (gen) Rossi-StudiStoria p. 274; 1522x1532 Iacobi (gen) DSF p. 50, Iacobus (nom) ibid. p. 50, 1; 1527 Jacobi (gen) Rome1527 p. 83, Jacobus (nom) ibid. p. 83
1285 Iacopelli (gen) Perugia1285 p. 158, Iacoputii (gen) ibid. p. 158; 1300 Iacobino (abl) ActDipVeneto-I-1 p. 50; 1522x1532 Iacobellus (nom) DSF p. 53, 44
Latvia
Latin
1286 Jacobus (nom) RigSB 486; 1287 Jacobus (nom) ibid. 461; 1290 Jacob (nom) ibid. 227; 1292 Jacob (nom) ibid. 235
Middle Low German
1453 Jacob Arbusow p. 97, Yacob ibid. p. 98, Yacobes (gen) ibid. p. 98; 1460 Jacob Mettig1892 p. 3; 1461 Jacob ibid. p. 3; 1462 Jacob Arbusow p. 99, Mettig1892 p. 6; 1463 Jacob Arbusow p. 99; 1464 Jacob ibid. p. 100; 1510 Jacob Mettig1892 p. 7; 1511 Jacob ibid. p. 7; 1515 Jacob ibid. p. 7; 1522 Jacob ibid. p. 4; 1523 Jacob Arbusow p. 99, Jacup ibid. p. 98, Yacup ibid. p. 97; 1524 Jacob ibid. p. 99, Jakob ibid. p. 91; 1532 Jacob ibid. p. 97; 1540 Jacob ibid. p. 98; 1542 Jacob ibid. p. 99; 1549 Jacob ibid. p. 100; 1558 Jacob Arbuzov1920 p. 45, Jacobs ibid. p. 45; 1565x1577 Jacob Arbusow p. 97, Jacop ibid. p. 97; 1595 Jacop Arbuzov1920 p. 48
Malta
Latin
1499 Jaymus (nom) Attard1499 p. 115
The Netherlands
Dutch
1560 Jacob MagMiddelburg-1560; 1561 Jacob ibid.; 1562 Iacob ibid., Jacob ibid.; 1563 Iacob ibid.; 1564 Jacob ibid.; 1565 Iacob ibid.; 1566 Iacob ibid.; 1567 Iacob ibid.; 1568 Jacob ibid.; 1569 Jacob ibid.; 1570 Jacob ibid.; 1571 Jacob ibid.; 1572 Jacob ibid.; 1573 Jacob ibid., Jacques ibid.; 1574 Jacob ibid., Jacques ibid.; 1575 Jacob ibid., Jacobs (gen) ibid.; 1576 Iacob ibid., Jacob ibid., Jacobs (gen) ibid.; 1577 Iaco ibid., Iacob ibid., Iacobs (gen) ibid.; 1578 Iacob ibid., Iacobs (gen) ibid.; 1579 Iacob ibid.; 1580 Jacob ibid.; 1581 Jacob ibid.; 1582 Jacob (gen) ibid.; 1583 Jacob ibid., Jacobs (gen) ibid.; 1584 Iacob ibid., Iacobs (gen) ibid., Jacob ibid.; 1585 Iacob ibid.; 1586 Iacob ibid., Iacobs (gen) ibid.; 1587 Iacob ibid., Iacobs (gen) ibid.; 1588 Jacob ibid., Jacobs (gen) ibid.; 1589 Jacob ibid., Jacobs (gen) ibid.; 1590 Jacob ibid., Jacobs (gen) ibid.; 1591 Iacob ibid., Jacob ibid., Jacobs (gen) ibid.; 1592 Iacob ibid.
Poland
Latin
1228 Iacobus (nom) hennes-vol1 p. 81
Scotland
Latin
1376 Jacobo (abl) morton-vol1 16, Jacobus (nom) ibid. 12; c1377 Jacobo (abl) ibid. 4; 1381x1388 Jacobus (nom) CartNBer [p. xxxvii]; 1383 Jacobo (abl) CartLevenax p. 5; 1385 Jacobo (abl) morton-vol1 8; 1388 Jacobi (gen) ibid. 9, Jacobo (abl) ibid. 9, Jacobum (acc) ibid. 9, Jacobus (nom) ibid. 9; 1390–1406 Jacobo (abl) ibid. 12; 1392 Jacobo (abl) CartLevenax p. 11; 1456 Jacobi (gen) morton-vol1 14, Jacobo (dat) ibid. 14, Jacobus (nom) ibid. 14; 1578 Jacobus (nom) ibid. 15
Scots
1495 James CrimTrials-I1 p. 15; c1550 James CartNBer p. xxii; 1578 James morton-vol1 15
Spain
Latin
1487 Jacobi (gen) carbonell p. 11; 1488 Jacobi (gen) ibid. p. 17; 1489 Jacobi (gen) ibid. p. 32, Jacobus (nom) ibid. p. 32; 1490 Jacobi (gen) ibid. p. 45, Jacobus (nom) ibid. p. 42; 1491 Jacobi (gen) ibid. p. 52
Catalan
1510 Diego valencia1510 3203, Jacme ibid. 4266, Jacobo ibid. 3732, Jaume ibid. 3222
Spanish
1316 Diego deMoxo; 1328 Diego ibid.; 1332 Diego ibid.; 1333 Diego ibid.; 1336 Diego ibid.; 1348 Diago ibid., Diego ibid.; 1495 Jayme montalvo; 1540 Diego SanzSerrano; 1567 Diego ibid.
Sweden
Latin
1383 Jacobus SRA-vol2 no. 1908
Old Swedish
1383 Jacob SRA-vol2 no. 1917
Switzerland
Latin
14thCx1478 Jacobi (gen) Ob-SPVn (21), Jacobum (acc) ibid. (167), Jacobus (nom) ibid. (5); 1342 Jacobus (nom) ibid. (6)
14thCx1478 Jaqueriodi (gen) Ob-SPVn (65), Jaquerius (nom) ibid. (198), Jaquerodi (gen) ibid. (182), Jaquerodus (nom) ibid. (226), Jaqueti (gen) ibid. (13), Jaqueto (abl) ibid. (110), Jaquetum (acc) ibid. (13), Jaquetus (nom) ibid. (38); 1343 Jaqueti (gen) ibid. (159); 1442 Jaqueti (gen) ibid. (93)
Cite as: G. Grim, R. Le Get, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Jacob". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 2. http://dmnes.org/2015/2/name/Jacob.