Harry vs Jacob
Harry 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, Harry was ranked #13 and Jacob #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #20 and Jacob #30 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Harry was ranked #25 and Jacob #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #31 and Jacob #27 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Harry was ranked #39 and Jacob #42 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Harry was ranked #40 and Jacob #66 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Harry was ranked #431 and Jacob #47 among boys in Norway.
Harry and Jacob over time
Harry and Jacob appear together in 6 published lists, across 204 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Jacob in 2.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 of the lists they share.
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 2022, Harry moved ahead of Jacob in New Zealand · Boys — #58 and #57 the year before became #40 and #49.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Harry and Jacob changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1992 and 2025, ending at #39 and #42.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Harry and Jacob averaged 10.6 places apart, ending at #20 and #30.
- Mirrored each other
Over 33 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Harry rose about as far as Jacob fell — from #94 and #25 in 1992 to #39 and #42 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Harry and Jacob were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 33 years, from 1992 to 2025, ending at #39 and #42.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Harry #1 in 2011, Jacob #4 in 2013.
List by list
Norway · Boys44 shared years, 1945–2019
Harry held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Jacob in 20.
Highest recorded here: Harry #69 in 1946, Jacob #34 in 2017.
The order changed in 1971: Jacob moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #260 and #302; by 1971 that had become #359 and #291.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Harry #431, Jacob #47.
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1980–2025
Harry held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Jacob in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harry #6 in 2018, Jacob #37 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harry #25, Jacob #62.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys33 shared years, 1992–2025
Harry held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Jacob in 28.
Highest recorded here: Harry #15 in 2018, Jacob #10 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harry #39, Jacob #42.
New Zealand · Boys30 shared years, 1994–2023
Harry held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Jacob in 27.
Highest recorded here: Harry #22 in 2018, Jacob #6 in 2003.
The order changed in 2022: Harry moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #58 and #57; by 2022 that had become #40 and #49.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Harry #40, Jacob #66.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Harry held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Jacob in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harry #1 in 2011, Jacob #4 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harry #20, Jacob #30.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Harry held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Jacob in 2.
Highest recorded here: Harry #4 in 2012, Jacob #5 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harry #13, 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 | Harry | Jacob |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A diminutive/pet form, inheriting its meaning from Henry — 'home ruler' — and functioning, in modern times, as a nickname for both Henry and names beginning with 'Har-'. During the Middle Ages in England, Henry was generally rendered as Harry or Herry in English pronunciation. | 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 | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhæri/ | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (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
- Harry is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin, while Jacob is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin origin.
- Harry and Jacob both have 2 syllables.
- Harry'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
Harry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #70 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: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #39 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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