Brief Life History of Jacob
When Jacob was christened on 16 April 1769, in Handrup, Dråby, Mols, Randers, Denmark, his father, Jochum Pedersen Høgh, was 33 and his mother, Mette Sofie Jensdatter, was 35. He died on 16 May 1770, at the age of 1.
Photos and Memories (0)
Do you know Jacob? Do you have a story about him that you would like to share? Sign In or Create a FREE Account
Family Time Line
Sources (0)
There are no historical documents attached to Jacob.
Parents and Siblings
1736–1809 Male
1735–1797 Female
Siblings (5)
1768–1768 Female
1769–1770 Male
1770–1822 Male
1773– Male
1776–1859 Female
Name Meaning
Biblical name, from Hebrew Yaakov. This was borne by perhaps the most important of all the patriarchs in the Book of Genesis. Jacob was the father of twelve sons, who gave their names to the twelve tribes of Israel. He was the son of Isaac and Rebecca and twin brother of Esau. According to the story in Genesis, he was the cunning younger twin, who persuaded his brother Esau to part with his right to his inheritance in exchange for a bowl of soup (‘a mess of pottage’). Later, he tricked his blind and dying father into blessing him in place of Esau. The derivation of the name has been much discussed. It is traditionally explained as being derived from Hebrew akev ‘heel’ and to have meant ‘heel grabber’, because when Jacob was born ‘his hand took hold of Esau's heel’ (Genesis 25:26). This is interpreted later in the Bible as ‘supplanter’ Esau himself remarks, ‘Is he not rightly named Jacob? for he has supplanted me these two times’ (Genesis 27:36). Jacob is especially common as a Jewish given name, although it also became very popular among the Puritans from the 16th century onwards, and has again been widely used since the 1990s. Compare James .
Dictionary of First Names © Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges 1990, 2003, 2006.
Discover Even More
As a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story.
