Jacob is a Hebrew name meaning "held by the heel" or "supplanter", derived from the Hebrew word "aqav". In the Bible, Jacob was the younger twin son of Isaac and Rebekah who held onto his brother Esau's heel during birth. He later wrestled with an angel and had twelve sons, each becoming a patriarch of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Throughout history, Jacob has been popular in various cultures and languages, including English (Jacob/James), French (Jacques), German (Jakob), among others.