Barry vs Jacob
Barry 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 2022, Barry was ranked #414 and Jacob #19 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Barry was ranked #3254 and Jacob #30 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Barry was ranked #402 and Jacob #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Barry and Jacob over time
Barry and Jacob appear together in 3 published lists, across 89 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Barry 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.
Barry reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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 1998, Jacob moved ahead of Barry in Northern Ireland · Boys — #90 and #94 the year before became #130 and #77.
- Longest-running competitions
Barry and Jacob were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 40 years, from 1980 to 2025, ending at #402 and #62.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #90 and #94 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 4 places apart; by 2022 they were #414 and #19.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1980–2025
Barry held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Jacob in 22.
Highest recorded here: Barry #22 in 1980, Jacob #37 in 2016.
The order changed in 2005: Jacob moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #123 and #134; by 2005 that had become #141 and #109.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Barry #402, Jacob #62.
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2024
Barry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 28.
Highest recorded here: Barry #441 in 1996, Jacob #4 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barry #3254, Jacob #30.
Northern Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 1997–2022
Barry held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Jacob in 20.
Highest recorded here: Barry #90 in 1997, Jacob #5 in 2018.
The order changed in 1998: Jacob moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #90 and #94; by 1998 that had become #130 and #77.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Barry #414, Jacob #19.
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 | Barry | 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 | /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 · Boys #402 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 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); Barry does not have one recorded yet.
- Barry and Jacob both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Barry 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
Barry
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #30 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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