Donncha vs Jacob
Donncha 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 2017, Donncha was ranked #3040 and Jacob #6 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Donncha was ranked #404 and Jacob #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Donncha was ranked #468 and Jacob #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Donncha and Jacob over time
Donncha and Jacob appear together in 2 published lists, across 53 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Donncha 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.
Donncha reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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 Donncha in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #222 and #251 the year before became #339 and #190.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Donncha and Jacob changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1980 and 2025, ending at #468 and #62.
- Mirrored each other
Over 37 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Jacob rose about as far as Donncha fell — from #232 and #321 in 1980 to #468 and #62 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Donncha and Jacob were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 37 years, from 1980 to 2025, ending at #468 and #62.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1980–2025
Donncha held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Jacob in 31.
Highest recorded here: Donncha #177 in 2009, Jacob #37 in 2016.
The order changed in 1993: Jacob moved ahead. In 1992 they stood at #222 and #251; by 1993 that had become #339 and #190.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Donncha #468, Jacob #62.
Northern Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 2006–2024
Donncha held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 16.
Highest recorded here: Donncha #218 in 2011, Jacob #5 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donncha #404, 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 | Donncha | 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #468 (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); Donncha does not have one recorded yet.
- Donncha and Jacob both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Donncha doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Donncha
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #245 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #159 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (recorded 1967–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #468 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