Dane vs Jacob
Dane 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Dane was ranked #2813 and Jacob #24 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1989, Dane was ranked #80 and Jacob #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Dane was ranked #829 and Jacob #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2002, Dane was ranked #281 and Jacob #86 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Dane and Jacob over time
Dane and Jacob appear together in 3 published lists, across 63 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Dane 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.
Dane 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 1993, Jacob moved ahead of Dane in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #238 and #251 the year before became #235 and #190.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2023
Dane held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 28.
Highest recorded here: Dane #256 in 2001, Jacob #4 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Dane #2813, Jacob #24.
Republic of Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1987–2025
Dane held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Jacob in 23.
Highest recorded here: Dane #165 in 1989, Jacob #37 in 2016.
The order changed in 1993: Jacob moved ahead. In 1992 they stood at #238 and #251; by 1993 that had become #235 and #190.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dane #829, Jacob #62.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys8 shared years, 1982–1989
Dane held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Jacob in 7.
Highest recorded here: Dane #62 in 1984, Jacob #38 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1989: Dane #80, Jacob #38.
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 | Dane | 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 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); Dane does not have one recorded yet.
- Dane and Jacob both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Dane doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Dane
Popularity journey
First recorded1979
First recorded at #88 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1979–1989
Highest recorded position: #62 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1984 (recorded 1979–1989).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 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