Surname Jakobides - Meaning and Origin
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Jakobides: What does the surname Jakobides mean?
The last name Jakobides is of Greek origin, derived from the personal name ‘Iakobos’. This name was derived from the Hebrew form ‘Yaakov’, which is in turn seen as a derivation of the Hebrew Yaaqov, meaning ‘Jacob’. In the Greek context, the name may have been also used to denote someone ‘son of Jacob’, thus reinforcing their familial or religious connection to the figure of Jacob, the Biblical patriarch.
Frequently, the surname is associated with the Wilhelm Jakobides (1867-1937), a prominent German painter who was heavily influenced by the late 19th-century Art Nouveau movement. He is credited for making significant contributions to the European Arts and Crafts movement, with his work heavily featuring natural forms as well as multiple figures, featuring both humans and animals, in bold and colour-saturated swaths of colour.
Nowadays, the surname is fairly common in Greece and Cyprus, as well as a few other countries in South-eastern Europe and the Middle-East, reflecting the wider diasporic adoption of Greek personal names by Orthodox and Catholic communities. As such, the surname Jakobides reflects a long and culturally-diverse evolution, which has resulted in a name closely linked to Christian, Jewish and secular cultural contexts.
Order DNA origin analysisJakobides: Where does the name Jakobides come from?
The last name Jakobides is primarily found among Greeks today, believed to have derived from a Greek nickname for a descendent of St. Jacob, referred to as "Jakobides." It is a common surname in both Greece and Cyprus, where the majority of the population is of Greek descent. However, with Greek immigration increasing around the world over the past few centuries, the name has spread to many countries. For example, Jakobides is a popular surname among the Greek-American and Cypriot-American communities in the United States, particularly in the states of New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts, areas where large Greek and Cypriot immigrant populations have settled. It is more rare in Australia, despite the Greek immigrant presence there, but is growing due to more recent Greek immigration. The name has also spread to other countries with some Greek immigration, such as the United Kingdom, and Canada. Today, a notable example of someone with the surname Jakobides is Nikos Jakobidas, a famous Greek actor and TV presenter.
Variations of the surname Jakobides
The surname Jakobides is a variant of an old Greek surname Jacobides (Ιακωβίδης). It is also written as Iakobidēs, Iakobi (Ιακωβί), Iakōvidēs, Ioakobides (Ιωακωβίδης), Memphis (Μέμφις), Tigani (Τίγανη), Jaccoux, Sakkab, Yakub, Yakoub, Yacoub, Yakovides, Jabakides, Jacobys, Jacoboviches, Yacovides, Jocobides, and Yakoby.
The source of this surname most likely derives from the given name Jacob, which in Greek is written as Iakov. Variants of Iakov could have been formed from the hypocorisms Iako, Iakou, and Iakobi. It is also possible that the surname originated from the name of an ancient Thracian family in the region of Macedonia.
A common Latinized form of Macedonian surname is Jacobides, or Laidones, which can also be spelled as Laidoneas or Latzidas. People from this family used to be called Koutsoukos or Mitzidai, which was derived from their Latinized names, Laidones and Teuzidai, respectively. Other variants of the surname of this origin include Iakovles and Yacobides, as well as Yakubides, Jakobos, Jakovides, Jakovles, Jocobides, and Jacobys.
The surname of Jacobus, which means ‘son of Jacob’ was also derived from the given name Jacob. Variations in spelling for this include Jacobus, possessesive Jakobus, and diminutive Iakobos (Ιακωβός). It also can be corrupted into Jakubis, Jakubidis (Ιακοβίτσις), Jakubi, Jacovis and Jacobi.
Overall, there are various forms and surnames of the same origin from the name Jacob, as this surname has been shaped by its many transliterations, nicknames, and Latin forms.
Famous people with the name Jakobides
- Marina Jakobides: An accomplished lawyer in practice for over 20 years and currently a partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, a leading international firm in New York City.
- Doğan Jakobides: A Turkish-American actor, best known for his performance in the movie, Atlas Shrugged.
- Odysseas Jakobides: A well-known Greek painter, primarily active in the early 20th century. He is particularly noted for his impressionistic plein air paintings of Greek landscapes.
- Panos Jakobides: A Greek philosopher and professor of psychology, Panos was a specialist in phenomenological psychology and psychotherapy.
- Demetrios Jakobides: The founder of Philhellenism in the late 19th century, Demetrios was a firm believer in the rights of the Greek people to freedom and independence.
- Melina Jakobides: A Greek-American author known for writing several novels and plays, in both English and Greek.
- Zoi Jakobides: A well-known Greek actress, singer, and TV presenter.
- Paul Jakobides: The founder the Institute of Psychological Analysis in Athens, he was widely regarded as one of the most prominent Greek psychoanalysts of the 20th century.
- Manolis Jakobides: A Greek artist whose prints and drawings were popular in the first decades of the 20th century.
- Marios Jakobides: A Greek composer, conductor, and music teacher who was a leader in the revival of music in 19th-century Athens.