Colin vs Jacob
Colin 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 2021, Colin was ranked #433 and Jacob #16 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Colin was ranked #1000 and Jacob #30 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Colin was ranked #119 and Jacob #59 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Colin was ranked #348 and Jacob #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1983, Colin was ranked #90 and Jacob #64 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Colin and Jacob over time
Colin and Jacob appear together in 4 published lists, across 134 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Colin in 1.
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.
Colin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Jacob in 1. 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 2009, Jacob moved ahead of Colin in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #105 and #110 the year before became #123 and #111.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Colin and Jacob changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1980 and 2025, ending at #348 and #62.
- Longest-running competitions
Colin and Jacob were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 44 years, from 1946 to 2025, ending at #119 and #59.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #96 and #94 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 2 places apart; by 2021 they were #433 and #16.
List by list
Norway · Boys44 shared years, 1946–2025
Colin held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Jacob in 43.
Highest recorded here: Colin #119 in 2025, Jacob #34 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colin #119, Jacob #59.
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1980–2025
Colin held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Jacob in 19.
Highest recorded here: Colin #44 in 1987, Jacob #37 in 2016.
The order changed in 2009: Jacob moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #105 and #110; by 2009 that had become #123 and #111.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colin #348, Jacob #62.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Colin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 29.
Highest recorded here: Colin #311 in 1997, Jacob #4 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Colin #1000, Jacob #30.
Northern Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 1997–2021
Colin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 21.
Highest recorded here: Colin #96 in 1997, Jacob #5 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Colin #433, Jacob #16.
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 | Colin | 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #119 (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); Colin does not have one recorded yet.
- Colin and Jacob both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Colin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Colin
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #326 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1983
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1983).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #119 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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