How old is someone named Jacob?
The average Jacob is 26 years old.
Half of all living Jacobs are between 18 and 33.
When was Jacob popular?
Parents have been choosing Jacob less often since its peak in 1998; 6,152 babies got the name in 2025.
Popular names of 1998 · The most popular names of the 1990s →
Show the numbers by decade
| Born in | Babies born | Alive today |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 2,191 | 0 |
| 1910s | 8,699 | 0 |
| 1920s | 9,067 | under 100 |
| 1930s | 5,281 | 620 |
| 1940s | 4,853 | 2,100 |
| 1950s | 5,405 | 3,600 |
| 1960s | 5,080 | 4,100 |
| 1970s | 36,557 | 33,000 |
| 1980s | 124,948 | 120,000 |
| 1990s | 299,007 | 290,000 |
| 2000s | 274,600 | 270,000 |
| 2010s | 163,507 | 160,000 |
| 2020s | 45,220 | 45,000 |
How many Jacobs are still alive?
About 930,000 Jacobs are alive in the US today. That's 94% of the roughly 990,000 babies named Jacob since 1880.
Nearly every Jacob ever born is still alive, because almost all of them are young.
What generation is the name Jacob?
About half of living Jacobs are in Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012.
- Boomer under 1%
- Gen X 5%
- Millennial 32%
- Gen Z 47%
- Gen Alpha 16%
Is Jacob an old name?
Not really. Jacob is younger than 57 in 100 names on AgeByName.
Looking ahead: if babies keep getting the name at today's pace, the typical Jacob will be 47 in 2056, so the name is getting older.
Is Jacob a boy or girl name?
Almost entirely boys: 99.8% of living Jacobs are men.
Names the same age as Jacob
NAME TWIN
Jacob's name twin is Carli. Of all 3,713 names on AgeByName, Carli's age curve is the closest match to Jacob's: 94% alike.
Other spellings: Jakob (23)
Compare: Jacob vs. Jake · Jacob vs. Jakob
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Questions about the name Jacob
How old is the average Jacob?
The average Jacob in the US is 26 years old. The median is 26, so half are older and half younger.
How many people are named Jacob?
About 930,000 Jacobs are alive in the US today, out of roughly 990,000 babies given the name since 1880.
When was the name Jacob most popular?
In 1998, when about 36,000 baby boys were named Jacob.
Is Jacob a Gen Z name?
Partly. Gen Z are the largest group, about 47% of living Jacobs, but the name spans several generations.
Estimates from Social Security Administration baby-name records (births 1880–2025) and SSA cohort life tables (2026 Trustees Report). Updated each spring. How we calculate this