Cameron vs Jacob
Cameron 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2015, Cameron was ranked #89 and Jacob #10 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2012, Cameron was ranked #81 and Jacob #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Cameron was ranked #187 and Jacob #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Cameron was ranked #33 and Jacob #27 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cameron was ranked #216 and Jacob #30 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Cameron was ranked #223 and Jacob #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Cameron and Jacob over time
Cameron and Jacob appear together in 5 published lists, across 161 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Cameron in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Cameron 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Jacob moved into the top 50 at #24 in 2010 as Cameron fell out of it to #74, having been #49 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1990, Jacob moved ahead of Cameron in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #30 and #38 the year before became #34 and #31.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Cameron and Jacob changed places 8 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1990 and 2025, ending at #223 and #62.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 31 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Cameron and Jacob averaged 19.2 places apart, ending at #81 and #11.
- Mirrored each other
Over 31 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Jacob rose about as far as Cameron fell — from #51 and #77 in 1982 to #81 and #11 in 2012.
- Longest-running competitions
Cameron and Jacob were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 31 years, from 1982 to 2012, ending at #81 and #11.
List by list
New Zealand · Boys37 shared years, 1977–2015
Cameron held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Jacob in 21.
Highest recorded here: Cameron #11 in 2000, Jacob #6 in 2003.
The order changed in 1995: Jacob moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #13 and #14; by 1995 that had become #13 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Cameron #89, Jacob #10.
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1990–2025
Cameron held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Jacob in 22.
Highest recorded here: Cameron #86 in 2000, Jacob #37 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cameron #223, Jacob #62.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys31 shared years, 1982–2012
Cameron held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Jacob in 23.
Highest recorded here: Cameron #26 in 1992, Jacob #10 in 1999.
The order changed in 1990: Jacob moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #30 and #38; by 1990 that had become #34 and #31.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Cameron #81, Jacob #11.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cameron held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Jacob in 24.
Highest recorded here: Cameron #23 in 2001, Jacob #4 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cameron #216, Jacob #30.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Cameron held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Jacob in 16.
Highest recorded here: Cameron #28 in 2002, Jacob #5 in 2017.
The order changed in 2010: Jacob moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #49 and #51; by 2010 that had become #74 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cameron #187, Jacob #13.
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 | Cameron | 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 | Not yet recorded | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #223 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 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); Cameron does not have one recorded yet.
- Cameron has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Jacob.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Cameron 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
Cameron
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #94 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2015
Highest recorded position: #11 among boys in New Zealand, in 2000 (recorded 1970–2015).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #223 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