Elijah vs Jake
Elijah and Jakecompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2020, Elijah was ranked #9 and Jake #87 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2017, Elijah was ranked #18 and Jake #96 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Elijah was ranked #23 and Jake #185 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Elijah was ranked #57 and Jake #84 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Elijah was ranked #76 and Jake #165 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Elijah was ranked #97 and Jake #95 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Elijah and Jake over time
Elijah and Jake appear together in 5 published lists, across 113 years of shared records. Jake held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Elijah in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Jake reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Elijah 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 took the other's place near the top
In New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Elijah moved into the top 50 at #35 in 2013 as Jake fell out of it to #51, having been #33 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2016, Elijah moved ahead of Jake in England and Wales · Boys — #46 and #34 the year before became #44 and #45.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Elijah and Jake averaged 25.1 places apart, ending at #18 and #96.
- Mirrored each other
Over 20 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Elijah rose about as far as Jake fell — from #92 and #49 in 1997 to #18 and #96 in 2017.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Elijah held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Jake in 20.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #23 in 2024, Jake #15 in 2006.
The order changed in 2016: Elijah moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #46 and #34; by 2016 that had become #44 and #45.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elijah #23, Jake #185.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Elijah held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jake in 26.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #97 in 2025, Jake #25 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elijah #97, Jake #95.
Northern Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 1999–2024
Elijah held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Jake in 19.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #52 in 2023, Jake #10 in 2015.
The order changed in 2023: Elijah moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #53 and #44; by 2023 that had become #52 and #73.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elijah #57, Jake #84.
New Zealand · Boys20 shared years, 1997–2017
Elijah held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Jake in 12.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #18 in 2017, Jake #44 in 2005.
The order changed in 2011: Elijah moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #52 and #46; by 2011 that had become #34 and #46.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Elijah #18, Jake #96.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2003–2020
Elijah held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Jake in 10.
Highest recorded here: Elijah #9 in 2020, Jake #20 in 2004.
The order changed in 2013: Elijah moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #47 and #33; by 2013 that had become #35 and #51.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Elijah #9, Jake #87.
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 | Elijah | Jake |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally rendered as 'my God is Yahweh', reflecting a common theophoric naming pattern in Hebrew. | A medieval variant of Jack, also sometimes used as a short form of Jacob. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | English, medieval variant |
| Pronunciation | /ɪˈlaɪdʒə/ | /ˈd͡ʒeɪk/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #7 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #95 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Elijah is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Jake is recorded with a English, medieval variant origin.
- Elijah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Jake.
- Elijah's recorded meaning differs from Jake's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Elijah
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #312 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2003–2025
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025 (recorded 2003–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Jake
Popularity journey
First recorded1983
First recorded at #330 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1983 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1986–2020
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1994 (recorded 1986–2020).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #95 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys