Elias vs Jakob
Elias 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Elias was ranked #4 and Jakob #9 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Elias was ranked #69 and Jakob #1124 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Elias was ranked #192 and Jakob #414 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Elias was ranked #280 and Jakob #556 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Elias and Jakob over time
Elias and Jakob appear together in 3 published lists, across 107 years of shared records. Elias held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Jakob in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Jakob reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Elias 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 2023, Elias moved ahead of Jakob in Norway · Boys — #9 and #6 the year before became #3 and #21.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Elias and Jakob changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #4 and #9.
- Longest-running competitions
Elias and Jakob were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #69 and #1124.
List by list
Norway · Boys66 shared years, 1945–2025
Elias held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Jakob in 40.
Highest recorded here: Elias #3 in 2006, Jakob #6 in 2019.
The order changed in 2023: Elias moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #9 and #6; by 2023 that had become #3 and #21.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elias #4, Jakob #9.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Elias held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Jakob in 7.
Highest recorded here: Elias #69 in 2025, Jakob #287 in 2000.
The order changed in 2004: Elias moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #406 and #320; by 2004 that had become #321 and #384.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elias #69, Jakob #1124.
Republic of Ireland · Boys11 shared years, 2009–2020
Elias held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Jakob in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elias #254 in 2016, Jakob #472 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Elias #280, Jakob #556.
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 | Elias | Jakob |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A form of Elijah, commonly interpreted as 'my God is Yahweh'. | A form of Jacob (or James) used across Germanic and Scandinavian languages, from the Hebrew Ya'akov. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek | Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission |
| Pronunciation | /ɪˈlaɪəs/ | /ˈjɑː.kɔp/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #4 (2025) | Norway · Boys #9 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Elias is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek origin, while Jakob is recorded with a Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission origin.
- Elias and Jakob both have 2 syllables.
- Elias's recorded meaning differs from Jakob's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Elias
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #328 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: #3 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
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 #1124 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys