The trouble is actually with the English form of the name, which is not particularly close to the original biblical name. The closest English name would actually be “Jacob.”
Over time, the name has had a variety of forms in various languages:
- Hebrew: יַעֲקֹ֑ב or Ya’acov, commonly pronounced and spelled as “Jacob” in English.
- Greek: pronounced “Yácobos.”
- Latin: Iacobus, and later Iacomus.
- In English, the middle syllable, “co,” of the Late Latin Iacomus, dropped out. As happens often in English with Biblical names, the initial syllable hardened from a “y” sound into a “j” sound – “Jesus,” from Yeshua, is an example. With all these gradual changes, Yacob evolved into Jamus, and with yet more time, into “James.” The English name went through many more changes than the Spanish.
- In Spanish, Iacobus evolved into Iago, with the result that Sanctus Iacobus (“Saint Jacob”) evolved a much shorter distance to Santo Iago, hence, Santiago.
This may be more than you ever wanted to know…but there it is.
