Surname Jakovic - Meaning and Origin

Jakovic: What does the surname Jakovic mean?

The last name Jakovic is a Serbian and Croatian surname. It is derived from the Bosnian and Serbian given name Jako, which is derived from the personal name Janko, a Slavic version of the name John. The name typically includes the suffix -vic, which is found in many Slavic surnames and denotes a patronymic, meaning that it originally referred to the son of a man named Jako, Janko, or some other variation of John.

The name Jakovic has several variations, such as Jankovic, Jakovich, and Yankovich. These variations, however, all share the same origin and meaning. In its earliest known appearance, the name is found in the Bosnian charter of 1390, where it is referred to as texting Jakov, indicating that it had been around for some time prior to that.

In today's day and age, Jakovic is a fairly common surname across Serbia and Croatia. There is no one unified set of cultural values that defines the name Jakovic, but it is usually associated with patriotism and loyalty. Generally, people with this last name are known to have strong family values and to be deeply devoted to their home, as well as their country.

Jakovic: Where does the name Jakovic come from?

The last name Jakovic is common throughout the former Yugoslavia and the Balkan region. It originated in Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina, which were previously part of the Yugoslavian Federation, and is still one of the most popular last names in these countries today.

It is also prominent among Croatians from the diaspora, which spread throughout the world in the wake of the Yugoslavian Civil War in the late twentieth century. Today, many individuals and families with the surname Jakovic can be found living across The United States, Canada, Australia, and several other European countries.

Interestingly, Jakovic is a patronymic surname, meaning it is derived from the name of the father. It is derived from the surname Jakos, which is a Slavic variation of the Greek name Jacob. Therefore, many people named Jakovic can trace their ancestry to the Slavic people—particularly those of Serbian descent.

While the surname is still quite common in the Balkans and the diaspora, it is slowly becoming less prominent in some other parts of the world due to changing cultural identities and assimilation.

Variations of the surname Jakovic

The surname Jakovic is a Slavic surname most commonly found in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Slovenia. It is thought to originate from the 12th - 16th century when the surname Jakov appeared with the additional suffix "ic" added to it, indicating the bearer was the son of the original Jakov. This spelling of the surname Jakovic is found mainly in Serbia, whereas in Croatia, the variants Jagovic and Jagic, as well as Jakovec are most often found. In Slovenia, only the variant Jakovec is recorded.

The surname Jakovic is known to have transitioned to become Jakovec due to dialectical influences, and consequently this is the most common variation of the name. Additionally, the name Jaković and Jakovljević can be found in Serbia, with the latter of these two emerging at a later time, between the 16th and 19th centuries.

In American records, alternative spellings such as Jokovic, Jako, Yakovic, and Yagovic have been found.

The terminations of these surname spellings may change depending on which country the surname has been derived from. It is common for people who have the surname Jakovic to bear the following suffixes - ić/ović, ek, eš, ek/ik, ov, ac, in, and even ec. Other surname endings can also be found as a result of phonetic variation. Generally, the surname endings can be displayed in the following forms: -vic, -vek, -vac, -včić, -vc and -vić.

The surname Jakovic also has many variants which are either derived from surnames of similar origin, or based on an alternative spelling of the name itself. Variants include the surnames Jak, Jako, Yak, Yako, Jakovski, Jakouski and Jakouški.

Famous people with the name Jakovic

• Dejan Jakovic: He is a Serbian-American professional soccer player who currently plays for the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami CF.
• Vesna Jakovic: She is a Serbian film and television actress.
• Saila Jakovic: She is a Belgrade-born video artist and filmmaker now based in Los Angeles.
• Ilija Jakovic: He is a Serbian handball player who currently plays for the Belarusian team ZRHK Tenza Minsk.
• Nenad Jakovic: He is a Serbian-American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent.
• Milenko Jakovic: He is a Serbian-American professional drummer and music producer.
• Alex Jakovic: He is a Serbian-American professional soccer player who currently plays for the Belmont Bruins.
• Slobodan Jakovic: He is a Serbian journalist, team manager, event organizer and editor in chief of several sports and leisure publications, including the Basketball magazine.
• Dragan Jakovic: He is a Serbian musician, songwriter, and guitarist who has worked with such notable names as Zdravko Čolić and Lepa Brena.
• Milutin Jakovic: He was a prominent Yugoslav machine-building and political scientist who was active from the 1950s to the 1990s.

Other surnames

JakovljevicJakovovic