Hayden vs Jacob
Hayden 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2012, Hayden was ranked #88 and Jacob #7 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Hayden was ranked #164 and Jacob #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2016, Hayden was ranked #96 and Jacob #14 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Hayden was ranked #268 and Jacob #27 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Hayden was ranked #279 and Jacob #30 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Hayden was ranked #223 and Jacob #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Hayden and Jacob over time
Hayden and Jacob appear together in 5 published lists, across 146 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Hayden in 0.
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.
Hayden reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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 1991, Jacob moved ahead of Hayden in New Zealand · Boys — #36 and #37 the year before became #37 and #33.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Hayden and Jacob averaged 35.5 places apart, ending at #96 and #14.
- Longest-running competitions
Hayden and Jacob were both ranked in New Zealand · Boys for 32 years, from 1977 to 2012, ending at #88 and #7.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1992–2025
Hayden held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Jacob in 32.
Highest recorded here: Hayden #177 in 2009, Jacob #37 in 2016.
The order changed in 1993: Jacob moved ahead. In 1992 they stood at #185 and #251; by 1993 that had become #339 and #190.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hayden #223, Jacob #62.
New Zealand · Boys32 shared years, 1977–2012
Hayden held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Jacob in 21.
Highest recorded here: Hayden #26 in 1994, Jacob #6 in 2003.
The order changed in 1991: Jacob moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #36 and #37; by 1991 that had become #37 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Hayden #88, Jacob #7.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Hayden held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 29.
Highest recorded here: Hayden #71 in 2008, Jacob #4 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hayden #279, Jacob #30.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys28 shared years, 1987–2016
Hayden held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 28.
Highest recorded here: Hayden #31 in 1994, Jacob #10 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Hayden #96, Jacob #14.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2024
Hayden held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jacob in 24.
Highest recorded here: Hayden #132 in 2008, Jacob #5 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hayden #164, 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 | Hayden | 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 | Not yet recorded | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #223 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 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); Hayden does not have one recorded yet.
- Hayden and Jacob both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Hayden doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Hayden
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #67 among boys in New Zealand in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1974–2012
Highest recorded position: #26 among boys in New Zealand, in 1994 (recorded 1974–2012).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #223 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