Jacques

Jacques is the French form of Jacob and James, both of which are ultimately derived from the Hebrew Biblical name יַעֲקֹב (Ya'aqobh) which literally translates to "at the heel" or “one that takes by the heel” (derivative of 'aqebh meaning “heel”). Given Jacob's Biblical story, this etymology makes perfect sense.  You see, Jacob was the second-born twin to Isaac and Rebecca; he came out of Rebecca's womb "with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob." (Genesis 25:26).  The Lord told Rebecca that the younger of her two twin boys would be stronger, and that the older (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob). As the Biblical story progresses, the cunning Jacob eventually supplanted his older brother by stealing his birthright and his father's blessing. "Is he not rightly named Jacob?" Esau asks in Genesis 27:36. "For he has supplanted me these two times." Therefore, the name Jacob is also associated with the verb "to supplant" (i.e., to supersede or replace).  In the Bible, Jacob went on to father the Twelve Tribes of Israel, so this has been a particularly important name to the Jews.  While the Puritans and other dissenting Christians adopted the name Jacob after the Protestant Reformation (c. 16th century), for the most part, the English use the anglicized form – James – by way of the Greek translation Ιακωβος (Iakobos) to the Latin Iacomus.  Historically it was thought that James and Jacob were two distinct names, but etymologists now agree James came from Jacob. Usage of James (English), Jacques (French), Jaime (Spanish), Giacobbe (Italian) and Séamus (Irish) since the Middle Ages was not in reference to the Old Testament Jacob but rather in honor of a few important Christian men named James in the New Testament, particularly St. James the Just, believed to be the brother of Jesus.  The name Jacques has long been used among the French, although it is considered slightly “old-manish” by today’s naming standards.  It is no longer ranked very high in France.