Namewise

Beau vs Jacob

Beau 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 2024, Beau was ranked #164 and Jacob #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Beau was ranked #22 and Jacob #66 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2025, Beau was ranked #25 and Jacob #42 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Beau was ranked #160 and Jacob #27 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Beau was ranked #108 and Jacob #41 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Beau was ranked #152 and Jacob #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Beau and Jacob over time

Beau and Jacob appear together in 5 published lists, across 105 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Beau 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.

Jacob reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Beau 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 took the other's place near the top

    In New Zealand · Boys, Beau moved into the top 50 at #37 in 2021 as Jacob fell out of it to #57, having been #36 the year before.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2024, Beau moved ahead of Jacob in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #37 and #30 the year before became #31 and #34.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Beau and Jacob averaged 44.1 places apart, ending at #25 and #42.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Beau and Jacob were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #108 and #41.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Beau held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Beau #108 in 2025, Jacob #4 in 2013.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Beau #108, Jacob #41.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys30 shared years, 1986–2025

    Beau held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Jacob in 28.

    Highest recorded here: Beau #25 in 2025, Jacob #10 in 2015.

    The order changed in 2024: Beau moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #37 and #30; by 2024 that had become #31 and #34.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Beau #25, Jacob #42.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2004–2025

    Beau held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 19.

    Highest recorded here: Beau #127 in 2023, Jacob #37 in 2016.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Beau #152, Jacob #62.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2009–2024

    Beau held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Beau #150 in 2021, Jacob #5 in 2017.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Beau #164, Jacob #13.

  • New Zealand · Boys12 shared years, 2012–2023

    Beau held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Jacob in 9.

    Highest recorded here: Beau #22 in 2023, Jacob #7 in 2012.

    The order changed in 2021: Beau moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #40 and #36; by 2021 that had become #37 and #57.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Beau #22, Jacob #66.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Beau

Pairs where Beau shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Jacob

Pairs where Jacob shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one took the other's place near the top.

All one took the other's place near the top→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Beau, Jacob
FieldBeauJacob
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usageUsed for both boys and girlsmale
MeaningNot yet recordedCommonly 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'.
OriginNot yet recordedBiblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin
Pronunciation/ˈdʒeɪkəb/
Syllables12
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Boys #25 (2025)England and Wales · Boys #41 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Jacob has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin); Beau does not have one recorded yet.
  • Beau has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Jacob.
  • A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Beau doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Beau

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1986

    First recorded at #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1986 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  2. Highest recorded2012–2023

    Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in New Zealand, in 2023 (recorded 2012–2023).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #483 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Jacob

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in England and Wales, in 2013 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #41 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys