Akiva is an Aramaic and Hebrew form of Jacob and shares its meaning, "supplanter" or "holder of the heel". The name is honored above all through Rabbi Akiva, the 2nd-century sage who is one of the towering figures of the Talmud and who, according to tradition, began studying only at age 40. In the United States Akiva is given mainly in observant Jewish families; it reached number 1263 in 2020 and ranks 1466 in 2025.