Jacob vs Kristoffer
Jacob and Kristoffercompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2015, Jacob was ranked #5 and Kristoffer #3373 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #59 and Kristoffer #187 among boys in Norway.
Jacob and Kristoffer over time
Jacob and Kristoffer appear together in 2 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Kristoffer reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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 2012, Jacob moved ahead of Kristoffer in Norway · Boys — #74 and #56 the year before became #55 and #74.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jacob and Kristoffer changed places 13 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #59 and #187.
- Longest-running competitions
Jacob and Kristoffer were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 78 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #59 and #187.
List by list
Norway · Boys78 shared years, 1945–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Kristoffer in 48.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #34 in 2017, Kristoffer #11 in 1993.
The order changed in 2012: Jacob moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #74 and #56; by 2012 that had become #55 and #74.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #59, Kristoffer #187.
England and Wales · Boys10 shared years, 1996–2015
Jacob held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Kristoffer in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #5 in 2015, Kristoffer #1821 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Jacob #5, Kristoffer #3373.
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 | Kristoffer |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| 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'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #41 (2025) | Norway · Boys #187 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 64/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jacob has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin); Kristoffer does not have one recorded yet.
- Jacob has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Kristoffer.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Kristoffer doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in England and Wales, in 2013 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #41 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Kristoffer
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #207 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #11 among boys in Norway, in 1993 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #187 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys