Antony vs Jacob
Antony and Jacobcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Antony was ranked #968 and Jacob #30 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Antony was ranked #779 and Jacob #48 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2009, Antony was ranked #390 and Jacob #51 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Antony and Jacob over time
Antony and Jacob appear together in 2 published lists, across 37 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Antony in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Antony reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Jacob in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Antony held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 29.
Highest recorded here: Antony #158 in 1996, Jacob #4 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Antony #968, Jacob #30.
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1980–2022
Antony held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Jacob in 7.
Highest recorded here: Antony #288 in 1980, Jacob #38 in 2019.
The order changed in 2005: Jacob moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #288 and #321; by 2005 that had become #448 and #109.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Antony #779, Jacob #48.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Antony | Jacob |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'holder of the heel' or 'supplanter', referencing the biblical account of Jacob being born grasping his twin brother Esau's heel. A less common alternate theory holds it may derive from a longer form meaning roughly 'may God protect'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #968 (2024) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jacob has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin); Antony does not have one recorded yet.
- Antony has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Jacob.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Antony doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Antony
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #74 among boys in New Zealand in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1960–1975
Highest recorded position: #56 among boys in New Zealand, in 1964 (recorded 1960–1975).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #968 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Jacob
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #273 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in England and Wales, in 2013 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #42 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys