Namewise

George vs Jacob

George 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 2025, George was ranked #7 and Jacob #41 among boys in England and Wales.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, George was ranked #7 and Jacob #66 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, George was ranked #40 and Jacob #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2025, George was ranked #24 and Jacob #42 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, George was ranked #48 and Jacob #27 among boys in Scotland.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2023, George was ranked #364 and Jacob #60 among boys in Norway.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, George was ranked #112 and Jacob #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

George and Jacob over time

George and Jacob appear together in 6 published lists, across 245 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, George in 1.

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.

Jacob reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, George 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 2004, Jacob moved ahead of George in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #108 and #115 the year before became #151 and #134.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    George and Jacob changed places 6 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1977 and 2023, ending at #7 and #66.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, George and Jacob averaged 10.4 places apart, ending at #7 and #41.

  • Longest-running competitions

    George and Jacob were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #7 and #41.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys58 shared years, 1946–2023

    George held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Jacob in 52.

    Highest recorded here: George #253 in 1968, Jacob #34 in 2017.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: George #364, Jacob #60.

  • New Zealand · Boys45 shared years, 1977–2023

    George held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Jacob in 34.

    Highest recorded here: George #5 in 2021, Jacob #6 in 2003.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: George #7, Jacob #66.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys44 shared years, 1982–2025

    George held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Jacob in 36.

    Highest recorded here: George #24 in 2023, Jacob #10 in 1999.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: George #24, Jacob #42.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1980–2025

    George held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Jacob in 24.

    Highest recorded here: George #65 in 2019, Jacob #37 in 2016.

    The order changed in 2004: Jacob moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #108 and #115; by 2004 that had become #151 and #134.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: George #112, Jacob #62.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    George held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Jacob in 4.

    Highest recorded here: George #2 in 2018, Jacob #4 in 2013.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: George #7, Jacob #41.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    George held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 28.

    Highest recorded here: George #25 in 2023, Jacob #5 in 2017.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: George #40, 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving George

Pairs where George shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Jacob

Pairs where Jacob shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

Pairs measured inside England and Wales's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

England and Wales overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of George, Jacob
FieldGeorgeJacob
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningFarmer, earth-worker.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'.
OriginGreekBiblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin
Pronunciation/ˈdʒɔːdʒ//ˈdʒeɪkəb/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Boys #7 (2025)England and Wales · Boys #41 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • George is recorded with a Greek origin, while Jacob is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin origin.
  • George and Jacob both have 2 syllables.
  • George's recorded meaning differs from Jacob's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

George

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1946

    First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in England and Wales, in 2018 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #7 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Jacob

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in England and Wales, in 2013 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #41 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys