Arthur vs Jacob
Arthur 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, Arthur was ranked #4 and Jacob #30 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Arthur was ranked #11 and Jacob #66 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #16 and Jacob #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #19 and Jacob #42 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #24 and Jacob #27 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #57 and Jacob #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #83 and Jacob #59 among boys in Norway.
Arthur and Jacob over time
Arthur and Jacob appear together in 6 published lists, across 183 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Arthur in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Jacob reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Arthur 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.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, Arthur moved ahead of Jacob in England and Wales · Boys — #19 and #6 the year before became #7 and #11.
- Longest-running competitions
Arthur and Jacob were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 75 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #83 and #59.
List by list
Norway · Boys75 shared years, 1945–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Jacob in 54.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #74 in 2020, Jacob #34 in 2017.
The order changed in 1970: Jacob moved ahead. In 1969 they stood at #281 and #299; by 1970 that had become #485 and #302.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #83, Jacob #59.
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1980–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Jacob in 31.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #47 in 2024, Jacob #37 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #57, Jacob #62.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Jacob in 22.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #3 in 2020, Jacob #4 in 2013.
The order changed in 2018: Arthur moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #19 and #6; by 2018 that had become #7 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #4, Jacob #30.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2004–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Jacob in 18.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #14 in 2023, Jacob #5 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #16, Jacob #13.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 2014–2023
Arthur held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Jacob in 6.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #11 in 2023, Jacob #10 in 2014.
The order changed in 2020: Arthur moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #35 and #27; by 2020 that had become #31 and #36.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Arthur #11, Jacob #66.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys9 shared years, 2017–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Jacob in 5.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #18 in 2024, Jacob #17 in 2020.
The order changed in 2024: Arthur moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #32 and #30; by 2024 that had become #18 and #34.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #19, Jacob #42.
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 | Arthur | Jacob |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | 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 | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹθər/ | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Art, Artie | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Arthur is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman origin, while Jacob is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin origin.
- Arthur and Jacob both have 2 syllables.
- Arthur's recorded meaning differs from Jacob's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Jacob a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Arthur
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #153 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: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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