Ashley vs Jacob
Ashley 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Ashley was ranked #398 and Jacob #8 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1995, Ashley was ranked #81 and Jacob #11 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1993, Ashley was ranked #93 and Jacob #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ashley was ranked #880 and Jacob #30 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Ashley was ranked #637 and Jacob #37 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Ashley and Jacob over time
Ashley and Jacob appear together in 5 published lists, across 86 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Ashley in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ashley reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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.
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 1986, Jacob moved ahead of Ashley in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #56 and #59 the year before became #58 and #54.
- Mirrored each other
Over 22 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Jacob rose about as far as Ashley fell — from #264 and #321 in 1980 to #637 and #37 in 2020.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #40 and #35 in England and Wales · Boys, 5 places apart; by 2024 they were #880 and #30.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ashley held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #40 in 1996, Jacob #4 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ashley #880, Jacob #30.
Republic of Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 1980–2020
Ashley held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Jacob in 16.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #175 in 1991, Jacob #37 in 2016.
The order changed in 1992: Jacob moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #175 and #230; by 1992 that had become #267 and #251.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Ashley #637, Jacob #37.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 1997–2013
Ashley held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 13.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #139 in 1997, Jacob #8 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Ashley #398, Jacob #8.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys11 shared years, 1982–1993
Ashley held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Jacob in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #56 in 1985, Jacob #19 in 1993.
The order changed in 1986: Jacob moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #56 and #59; by 1986 that had become #58 and #54.
Most recent shared year, 1993: Ashley #93, Jacob #19.
New Zealand · Boys11 shared years, 1984–1995
Ashley held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 11.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #53 in 1989, Jacob #11 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1995: Ashley #81, Jacob #11.
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 | Ashley | Jacob |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | 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 | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | 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); Ashley does not have one recorded yet.
- Ashley and Jacob both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Ashley 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
Ashley
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #372 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1985–2011
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1987 (recorded 1985–2011).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
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