Tracing the Jakoby Family Name

Jakoby is how some branches of the Jakob family came to write their name.

Its meaning, shared with Jakob, is “From Jakob (Jacob)”. Records show Jakoby as one of the forms Jakob took over time. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. Related forms: Jacob, Jakab and Jakobson.

Jakoby coat of arms

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named Jakoby, so the heraldry linked to Jakob is a starting point, not an automatic right.

Want more than a summary? See the Jakoby family name pack.