Jacob vs Kenneth
Jacob and Kennethcompared 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #27 and Kenneth #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and Kenneth #968 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2021, Jacob was ranked #60 and Kenneth #475 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2007, Jacob was ranked #64 and Kenneth #315 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #64 and Kenneth #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1981, Jacob was ranked #65 and Kenneth #88 among boys in New Zealand.
Jacob and Kenneth over time
Jacob and Kenneth appear together in 3 published lists, across 141 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kenneth 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.
Kenneth reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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 1999, Jacob moved ahead of Kenneth in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #158 and #130 the year before became #161 and #167.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jacob and Kenneth changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2021, ending at #60 and #475.
- Mirrored each other
Over 74 shared years in Norway · Boys, Jacob rose about as far as Kenneth fell — from #273 and #303 in 1945 to #60 and #475 in 2021.
- Longest-running competitions
Jacob and Kenneth were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 74 years, from 1945 to 2021, ending at #60 and #475.
List by list
Norway · Boys74 shared years, 1945–2021
Jacob held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Kenneth in 47.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #34 in 2017, Kenneth #10 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Jacob #60, Kenneth #475.
Republic of Ireland · Boys38 shared years, 1980–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Kenneth in 13.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #37 in 2016, Kenneth #41 in 1980.
The order changed in 1999: Jacob moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #158 and #130; by 1999 that had become #161 and #167.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #64, Kenneth #785.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Kenneth in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, Kenneth #968.
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 | Kenneth |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | An Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed, of Scottish Gaelic origin. Borne by the Scottish king Kenneth mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin | Scottish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ |
| 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jacob is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin origin, while Kenneth is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic origin.
- Jacob and Kenneth both have 2 syllables.
- Jacob's recorded meaning differs from Kenneth'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
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
Kenneth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2021
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #968 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys