Jacob vs Leo
Jacob and Leocompared 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 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and Leo #5 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #42 and Leo #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jacob was ranked #66 and Leo #5 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #27 and Leo #5 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #62 and Leo #10 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #13 and Leo #12 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #59 and Leo #28 among boys in Norway.
Jacob and Leo over time
Jacob and Leo appear together in 6 published lists, across 191 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Leo in 2.
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 6 of those lists, and Leo 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 Norway · Boys, Leo moved into the top 50 at #48 in 2018 as Jacob fell out of it to #53, having been #34 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, Leo moved ahead of Jacob in England and Wales · Boys — #6 and #7 the year before became #11 and #6.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jacob and Leo changed places 7 times in Norway · Boys between 1947 and 2025, ending at #59 and #28.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jacob and Leo averaged 43.4 places apart, ending at #30 and #5.
- Longest-running competitions
Jacob and Leo were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 56 years, from 1947 to 2025, ending at #59 and #28.
List by list
Norway · Boys56 shared years, 1947–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Leo in 15.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #34 in 2017, Leo #28 in 2025.
The order changed in 2018: Leo moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #34 and #59; by 2018 that had become #53 and #48.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #59, Leo #28.
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1980–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Leo in 25.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #37 in 2016, Leo #10 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #62, Leo #10.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Leo in 7.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, Leo #5 in 2022.
The order changed in 2018: Leo moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #6 and #7; by 2018 that had become #11 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, Leo #5.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Leo in 5.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #5 in 2017, Leo #6 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #13, Leo #12.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Jacob held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Leo in 8.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #6 in 2003, Leo #3 in 2019.
The order changed in 2016: Leo moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #10 and #24; by 2016 that had become #25 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jacob #66, Leo #5.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Leo in 10.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #10 in 2015, Leo #3 in 2022.
The order changed in 2016: Leo moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #10 and #25; by 2016 that had become #14 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #42, Leo #5.
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 | Leo |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | Lion. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ | /ˈliːoʊ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| 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) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #5 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| 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 Leo is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Jacob has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Leo.
- Jacob's recorded meaning differs from Leo'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
Leo
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys