Henry vs Jacob
Henry 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Henry was ranked #6 and Jacob #42 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Henry was ranked #8 and Jacob #66 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #45 and Jacob #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #14 and Jacob #30 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #95 and Jacob #27 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Henry was ranked #50 and Jacob #59 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Henry was ranked #76 and Jacob #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Henry and Jacob over time
Henry and Jacob appear together in 6 published lists, across 244 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Henry in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 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, and Henry 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 2020, Henry moved ahead of Jacob in England and Wales · Boys — #12 and #11 the year before became #11 and #19.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Henry and Jacob changed places 6 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #50 and #59.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Henry and Jacob averaged 16.8 places apart, ending at #14 and #30.
- Mirrored each other
Over 31 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Henry rose about as far as Jacob fell — from #97 and #19 in 1993 to #6 and #42 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Henry and Jacob were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 31 years, from 1993 to 2025, ending at #6 and #42.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Henry #75 in 2016, Jacob #37 in 2016.
List by list
Norway · Boys79 shared years, 1945–2025
Henry held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Jacob in 54.
Highest recorded here: Henry #50 in 2025, Jacob #34 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #50, Jacob #59.
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1980–2025
Henry held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Jacob in 28.
Highest recorded here: Henry #75 in 2016, Jacob #37 in 2016.
The order changed in 2000: Jacob moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #156 and #161; by 2000 that had become #137 and #116.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #76, Jacob #62.
New Zealand · Boys37 shared years, 1986–2023
Henry held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Jacob in 30.
Highest recorded here: Henry #8 in 2023, Jacob #6 in 2003.
The order changed in 2017: Henry moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #26 and #25; by 2017 that had become #19 and #27.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Henry #8, Jacob #66.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys31 shared years, 1993–2025
Henry held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Jacob in 22.
Highest recorded here: Henry #4 in 2023, Jacob #10 in 1999.
The order changed in 2017: Henry moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #18 and #14; by 2017 that had become #6 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #6, Jacob #42.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Henry held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Jacob in 24.
Highest recorded here: Henry #10 in 2021, Jacob #4 in 2013.
The order changed in 2020: Henry moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #12 and #11; by 2020 that had become #11 and #19.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Henry #14, Jacob #30.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Henry held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Jacob in 27.
Highest recorded here: Henry #22 in 2023, Jacob #5 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Henry #45, 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 | Henry | Jacob |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Home ruler, estate ruler. | 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 | Germanic, via Old French Henri | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɛnɹi/ | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Harry, Hal, Heinrich, Henri | 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #6 (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 | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Henry is recorded with a Germanic, via Old French Henri origin, while Jacob is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin origin.
- Henry and Jacob both have 2 syllables.
- Henry'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.
- The available evidence gives Henry a "high" Data Confidence level and Jacob a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Henry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #102 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1993–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 1993–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #6 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