Hunter vs Jake
Hunter and Jake compared 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 2017, Hunter was ranked #5 and Jake #96 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2020, Hunter was ranked #22 and Jake #87 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Hunter was ranked #52 and Jake #165 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Hunter was ranked #93 and Jake #84 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Hunter was ranked #91 and Jake #235 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Hunter was ranked #159 and Jake #95 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Hunter and Jake over time
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Hunter and Jake over time
Hunter and Jake appear together in 5 published lists, across 93 years of shared records. Jake held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Hunter in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Jake reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Hunter 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 took the other's place near the top
In New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Hunter moved into the top 50 at #25 in 2013 as Jake fell out of it to #51, having been #33 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, Hunter moved ahead of Jake in England and Wales · Boys — #78 and #56 the year before became #44 and #67.
- Longest-running competitions
Hunter and Jake were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #91 and #235.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Hunter held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Jake in 22.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #44 in 2018, Jake #15 in 2006.
The order changed in 2018: Hunter moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #78 and #56; by 2018 that had become #44 and #67.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hunter #91, Jake #235.
New Zealand · Boys19 shared years, 1999–2017
Hunter held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Jake in 4.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #5 in 2017, Jake #44 in 2005.
The order changed in 2003: Hunter moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #63 and #45; by 2003 that had become #43 and #53.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Hunter #5, Jake #96.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys15 shared years, 2005–2020
Hunter held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Jake in 8.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #16 in 2017, Jake #24 in 2006.
The order changed in 2013: Hunter moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #35 and #33; by 2013 that had become #25 and #51.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Hunter #22, Jake #87.
Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 2008–2024
Hunter held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jake in 15.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #70 in 2019, Jake #10 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hunter #93, Jake #84.
Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2012–2025
Hunter held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jake in 14.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #91 in 2021, Jake #25 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hunter #159, Jake #95.
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 | Hunter | Jake |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | An English occupational surname, from Old English 'hunta'/'huntian' ('to hunt') — someone who hunted for a living. | A medieval variant of Jack, also sometimes used as a short form of Jacob. |
| Origin | English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted | English, medieval variant |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhʌn.təɹ/ | /ˈd͡ʒeɪk/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #60 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #95 (2025) |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hunter is recorded with a English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted origin, while Jake is recorded with a English, medieval variant origin.
- Hunter and Jake both have 2 syllables.
- Hunter's recorded meaning differs from Jake's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Hunter
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2357 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2023
Highest recorded position: #5 among boys in New Zealand, in 2017 (recorded 1999–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4867 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Jake
Popularity journey
First recorded1983
First recorded at #330 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1983 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1986–2020
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1994 (recorded 1986–2020).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #235 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys