Jacob vs Manuel
Jacob and Manuelcompared 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 Manuel #619 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and Manuel #898 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #62 and Manuel #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2016, Jacob was ranked #67 and Manuel #462 among boys in Norway.
Jacob and Manuel over time
Jacob and Manuel appear together in 3 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Manuel in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Manuel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Jacob in 1. 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jacob and Manuel changed places 6 times in Norway · Boys between 1952 and 2016, ending at #67 and #462.
- Longest-running competitions
Jacob and Manuel were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 43 years, from 1952 to 2016, ending at #67 and #462.
List by list
Norway · Boys43 shared years, 1952–2016
Jacob held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Manuel in 4.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #50 in 2015, Manuel #269 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Jacob #67, Manuel #462.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Manuel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, Manuel #898 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, Manuel #898.
Republic of Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 2008–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Manuel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #37 in 2020, Manuel #534 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #62, Manuel #577.
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 | Manuel |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jacob has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin); Manuel does not have one recorded yet.
- Jacob and Manuel both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Manuel doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, 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 recorded1996–2024
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
Manuel
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #328 among boys in Norway in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2016
Highest recorded position: #269 among boys in Norway, in 1954 (recorded 1952–2016).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys