Barney vs Jakob
Barney and Jakobcompared 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, Barney was ranked #298 and Jakob #1402 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Barney was ranked #414 and Jakob #414 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Barney was ranked #741 and Jakob #556 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Barney and Jakob over time
Barney and Jakob appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Jakob held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Barney 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.
Jakob reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Barney 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
Barney held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Jakob in 17.
Highest recorded here: Barney #246 in 2021, Jakob #287 in 2000.
The order changed in 2019: Barney moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #492 and #486; by 2019 that had become #340 and #674.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barney #298, Jakob #1402.
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 | Barney | Jakob |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A form of Jacob (or James) used across Germanic and Scandinavian languages, from the Hebrew Ya'akov. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈjɑː.kɔp/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #298 (2024) | Norway · Boys #9 (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
- Jakob has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission); Barney does not have one recorded yet.
- Barney and Jakob both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jakob; Barney doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Barney
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #489 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #246 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #298 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Jakob
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #150 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2019 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #9 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys