Eoin vs Jacob
Eoin 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Eoin was ranked #71 and Jacob #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Eoin was ranked #404 and Jacob #27 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Eoin was ranked #945 and Jacob #30 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Eoin was ranked #106 and Jacob #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Eoin and Jacob over time
Eoin and Jacob appear together in 3 published lists, across 97 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Eoin 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.
Eoin 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 took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Jacob moved into the top 50 at #37 in 2016 as Eoin fell out of it to #55, having been #47 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2010, Jacob moved ahead of Eoin in Northern Ireland · Boys — #24 and #51 the year before became #34 and #24.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Eoin and Jacob averaged 41.8 places apart, ending at #71 and #13.
- Longest-running competitions
Eoin and Jacob were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 40 years, from 1980 to 2025, ending at #106 and #62.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1980–2025
Eoin held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Jacob in 10.
Highest recorded here: Eoin #14 in 2004, Jacob #37 in 2016.
The order changed in 2016: Jacob moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #47 and #49; by 2016 that had become #55 and #37.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eoin #106, Jacob #62.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Eoin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 29.
Highest recorded here: Eoin #398 in 1998, Jacob #4 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eoin #945, Jacob #30.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Eoin held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Jacob in 15.
Highest recorded here: Eoin #23 in 2004, Jacob #5 in 2017.
The order changed in 2010: Jacob moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #24 and #51; by 2010 that had become #34 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eoin #71, 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 | Eoin | Jacob |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as the Irish form of John, ultimately tracing to Hebrew elements for 'Yahweh' and 'to be gracious/show favour'. | 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 | Irish | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈoːnʲ/ | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #106 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Eoin is recorded with a Irish origin, while Jacob is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin origin.
- Eoin has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Jacob.
- Eoin's recorded meaning differs from Jacob's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Eoin
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #83 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #14 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #106 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