Jacobi

Jacobi is a Latin form meaning of Jacob, developed from Jacobus. It has been used as a surname and now also appears as a first name. The older name Jacob is linked in the biblical story with a heel and with Jacob's relationship to his twin Esau; the familiar interpretation supplanter comes from that narrative tradition.

The -i ending reflects a grammatical relationship rather than a separate Hebrew word. This gives Jacobi a different history from a simple spelling change to Jacob, even though both belong to the same family. Jacoby is a close spelling to compare. For parents honoring a Jacob, Jacobi keeps the recognizable root while adding an extra syllable and the heritage of a name that passed through Latin and family surnames.