Jacob vs James
Jacob and Jamescompared 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, Jacob was ranked #13 and James #1 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #62 and James #4 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #27 and James #14 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #42 and James #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jacob was ranked #66 and James #15 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and James #40 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #59 and James #355 among boys in Norway.
Jacob and James over time
Jacob and James appear together in 6 published lists, across 264 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Jacob 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.
James reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 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 2011, Jacob moved ahead of James in England and Wales · Boys — #12 and #10 the year before became #7 and #8.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jacob and James changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1977 and 2023, ending at #66 and #15.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jacob and James averaged 13.9 places apart, ending at #30 and #40.
- Longest-running competitions
Jacob and James were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 44 years, from 1982 to 2025, ending at #42 and #15.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Jacob #5 in 2017, James #1 in 2015.
List by list
Norway · Boys78 shared years, 1945–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 59 of those years, James in 19.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #34 in 2017, James #218 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #59, James #355.
New Zealand · Boys45 shared years, 1977–2023
Jacob held the stronger position in 2 of those years, James in 43.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #6 in 2003, James #2 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jacob #66, James #15.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys44 shared years, 1982–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 44.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #10 in 1999, James #3 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #42, James #15.
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1980–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 40.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #37 in 2016, James #1 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #62, James #4.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 14 of those years, James in 15.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, James #2 in 1997.
The order changed in 2011: Jacob moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #12 and #10; by 2011 that had become #7 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, James #40.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 28.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #5 in 2017, James #1 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #13, James #1.
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 | Jacob | James |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | 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'. | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus |
| 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 #42 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Jacob is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin origin, while James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin.
- Jacob and James both have 2 syllables.
- Jacob's recorded meaning differs from James'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 Jacob a "medium" Data Confidence level and James a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
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
James
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys