Posted on 04/25/2014 8:48:24 PM PDT by Usagi_yo
GENDER: Masculine USAGE: English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Biblical
From the Latin Iacobus. In the Old Testament, Jacob (later called Israel) is the son of Isaac and Rebecca and the father of the twelve founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. He was born holding his twin brother Esau's heel, and his name is explained as meaning "holder of the heel" or "supplanter". Other theories claim it means "may God protect". [Paraphrased] ... Snip ...
(Excerpt) Read more at behindthename.com ...
Even though the only real comprehensive statistical sampling is done for the U.S, there is definitely a noticeable skew in the others. Some downward some upward.
Looks to me like the Scandinavian countries are collapsing while Jolly old England and some her descendants are holding the center on Western Civilization. Australia, Canada and New Zealand differing. Proximity might be an explanation but Canada wouldn't fit then. Perhaps it's a deep hidden anti-american sentiment from Britain's younger children.
In an odd coincidence the number of countries listed is 12. The number of the tribes of Israel.
Usagi_yo
I have a grandson on the way, to be named JAXSON. I believe the name is related to Jacob
Jacob owes it’s current popularity to the “Twilight” series. I wish I were joking.
James, the English version of Jacob, appears far more often among English-speakers.
Maybe we can thank the King James Version for that outcome!
Of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, only two had the name James. James Wilson was born in Scotland, and James Smith was from Northern Ireland (so probably of Scottish ancestry). So it may have been more popular in Scotland than in England.
In the Middle Ages, the shrine of St. James of Compostello was a popular pilgrimage destination (the supposed relics of the Apostle James).
>> In the Middle Ages, the shrine of St. James of Compostello was a popular pilgrimage destination (the supposed relics of the Apostle James). <<
Thanks for the reminder!
And by the way, it’s STILL a very popular destination for pilgrims. A few years ago, while on driving the highway from Burgos to Santiago de Compostela, I saw literally hundreds of pilgrims hiking along the roadside. Some walk all the way from places as far away as Poland.
I recall being told that Santiago (Medieval Spanish for “St. James”) is even now the third most popular destination for Roman Catholic pilgrims, behind only Jerusalem and Rome.
Bump for more interest.
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