Darryl vs Jakob
Darryl and Jakobcompared 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 2014, Darryl was ranked #398 and Jakob #281 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2017, Darryl was ranked #610 and Jakob #710 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Darryl was ranked #4107 and Jakob #1139 among boys in England and Wales.
Darryl and Jakob over time
Darryl and Jakob appear together in 1 published list, across 26 years of shared records. Jakob held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Darryl 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.
Darryl reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Jakob 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1996–2023
Darryl held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Jakob in 25.
Highest recorded here: Darryl #335 in 1996, Jakob #287 in 2000.
The order changed in 1997: Jakob moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #335 and #341; by 1997 that had become #413 and #315.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Darryl #4107, Jakob #1139.
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 | Darryl | Jakob |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A form of Jacob (or James) used across Germanic and Scandinavian languages, from the Hebrew Ya'akov. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈjɑː.kɔp/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #4107 (2023) | Norway · Boys #9 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jakob has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission); Darryl does not have one recorded yet.
- Darryl and Jakob both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jakob; Darryl doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Darryl
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #90 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 recorded1957–1975
Highest recorded position: #58 among boys in New Zealand, in 1963 (recorded 1957–1975).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4107 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys
Jakob
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #150 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2019 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #9 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys