Surname Jakop - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'J'
Jakop: What does the surname Jakop mean?
The last name Jakop is of Scandinavian origin. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse personal name Yaka or Iaka. This name is of uncertain origin, but it is thought to be derived from an Old Norse phrase meaning either “one who makes offerings” or “deep pool”. The name also likely was a nickname, referring to a physical characteristic or attribute of the person who bore it in the days when such a surname was first adopted.
The earliest records of anyone bearing the Jakop surname date back to the 1500s, during the period when surnames first began to be used. These early records generally refer to people from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, although the surname is more typically associated with Finland today. It is likely that the area of Scandinavia where the surname originated has shifted over time, as migrations of people have taken place.
Over the centuries, the Jakop surname has been spelled in a variety of ways, including Jakob, Jakub, Jako, and Jakoby, among others. It is believed that those variants arose as a result of a variety of cultural and regional influences in the countries where forms of the surname have been used.
Today the Jakop surname is still widespread in Scandinavia, particularly in Finland, where it is the 48th most common surname. It is also found in a number of other countries around the world, particularly in North America, Australia, and New Zealand, where emigrants from Scandinavia have settled.
Order DNA origin analysisJakop: Where does the name Jakop come from?
The last name Jakop is common throughout parts of Central and Eastern Europe. It is common in countries such as Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine. It is also somewhat common in parts of Italy. The name is derived from the Greek personal name Jacobos, which is derived from the Hebrew name Jacob, meaning the supplanter or one who grasps the heel.
The Jakop surname is most popular in Serbia where it is ranked 52nd, in Austria where it ranked 178th, and Slovakia where it is ranked 113th. Beyond Croatia, most of the Jakop surname holders are concentrated in the easternmost regions of the European Union. However, it is also found in smaller numbers in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and parts of South America.
In Poland, Jakop is a patronymic surname, where it is associated with its female version Jakupczyk. This surname is most predominant in the northeast region of the country, where it is spoken by around 1,000 individuals. This name is found frequently in Hungary, where it is thought to have been adopted in the 1600s by people from the Ukraine. As the name spread through Hungary, it extended into northeastern Croatia.
The Jakop surname is one of the oldest and most widely distributed surnames throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Although it is most popular in the countries mentioned above, it is found all over the world.
Variations of the surname Jakop
The surname Jakop originated from pre-Christian times and has a variety of spellings and variants. The most common variations and spellings of this surname include Yacob, Yakub, Jakub, Jacub, Oacove, Jake, Jakes, and Iacopo. Other spellings and variants use the more modern spelling Jacob instead of Jakob.
Jakob is derived from the Hebrew name Ya’aqov (יַעֲקֹב), with Ya being short for Yahweh, or "Lord," and qov meaning “to follow.” This given name was historically shared by two biblical characters, Jacob the son of Isaac and Jacob the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Variants of Jakob are widespread throughout numerous cultures and languages, including in Dutch (Jakobus/Job), Scandinavian (Jakob/Jakobus), German (Jakob), English (Jake/Jacob/Jack), and Russian (Yakov/Iakov).
In Italian, variants include Iacobbe, Iacoboni, Iacobucci, Iacobelli, and Iacovelli.
In the Sephardic Jewish community, surnames derived from the name Jakob include Yakubov, Yakubowicz, Yakubowitz, Jakobovits, and Jakobsohn.
The surname also has Dutch patronymics derived from Jakob, such as Jacobs and Jacobsz. Patronymics are names ending in -son or -zoon, derived from the given name of the father.
Overall, the surname Jakop has many variants and spellings, each stemming from different cultures and countries. The variations of the name in different languages show the prevalence of the name in numerous cultures, languages, and countries.
Famous people with the name Jakop
- Tom Jakop: Dutch actor who starred in numerous films, including Montagneuls (2010) and Mansoor (2015).
- Avery Jakop: professional skier and Olympian from the United States, competing in the 2014 Winter Olympics.
- Petr Jakop: Czech ice hockey goaltender, playing professionally in the Czech Extraliga for HC Ocelari Trinec since 2015.
- Saša Jakop: Slovenian contemporary artist, best known for his multi-style oil paintings.
- Jan Jakop: Belgian footballer who features as a forward for Club Brugge.
- Jens Jakop: Danish actor who starred in Rugen (2019) and Ordet x (2019).
- Kaarel Jakop: Estonian politician, serving as a Member of the Parliament of Estonia since 2019.
- Robert Jakop: Slovenian basketball player, representing Slovenia at the 2019 FIBA U18 European Championship.
- Ernst Jakop: German water polo player, competing for West Germany in the 1969 European Championships.
- Juan Jakop: Argentine footballer, playing as a goalkeeper for Merlo Primera B Metropolitana.