Glenn vs Jacob
Glenn 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 2013, Glenn was ranked #343 and Jacob #8 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Glenn was ranked #5119 and Jacob #30 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1986, Glenn was ranked #99 and Jacob #54 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2012, Glenn was ranked #545 and Jacob #55 among boys in Norway.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1983, Glenn was ranked #100 and Jacob #58 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Glenn was ranked #829 and Jacob #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Glenn and Jacob over time
Glenn and Jacob appear together in 4 published lists, across 132 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Glenn 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.
Glenn reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 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 2000, Jacob moved ahead of Glenn in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #118 and #161 the year before became #164 and #116.
- Mirrored each other
Over 59 shared years in Norway · Boys, Jacob rose about as far as Glenn fell — from #329 and #209 in 1948 to #545 and #55 in 2012.
- Longest-running competitions
Glenn and Jacob were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 59 years, from 1948 to 2012, ending at #545 and #55.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #104 and #94 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 10 places apart; by 2013 they were #343 and #8.
List by list
Norway · Boys59 shared years, 1948–2012
Glenn held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Jacob in 19.
Highest recorded here: Glenn #57 in 1974, Jacob #55 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Glenn #545, Jacob #55.
Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1980–2025
Glenn held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Jacob in 19.
Highest recorded here: Glenn #92 in 1992, Jacob #37 in 2020.
The order changed in 2000: Jacob moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #118 and #161; by 2000 that had become #164 and #116.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Glenn #829, Jacob #62.
England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 1996–2024
Glenn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 27.
Highest recorded here: Glenn #278 in 1996, Jacob #4 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Glenn #5119, Jacob #30.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 1997–2013
Glenn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 13.
Highest recorded here: Glenn #104 in 1997, Jacob #8 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Glenn #343, Jacob #8.
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 | Glenn | 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 | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 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
- Jacob has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin); Glenn does not have one recorded yet.
- Glenn has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Jacob.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Glenn doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Glenn
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #329 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1986
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1962 (recorded 1952–1986).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 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