Heraldry and the Jacoby Surname

Jacoby is how some branches of the Jacobi family came to write their name. Its meaning, shared with Jacobi, is “Son of Jacob”. Only a small detail separates the spellings: Jacoby has “y” where Jacobi has “i”. Other spellings include Jakobi.

Jacoby ranked 3,776 in the 2010 US Census, with 9,372 people answering to the name. From 1891 to 2000, 747 births in France were registered under Jacoby. There were 47 such births in the 1890s and 70 in the 1990s. Names that sound alike, such as Jacob, are easily confused in old records.

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Jacobi surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon. Want more than a summary? See the Jacoby family name pack.