Jacob vs Mason
Jacob and Masoncompared 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 Mason #61 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #27 and Mason #25 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jacob was ranked #66 and Mason #26 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and Mason #63 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #42 and Mason #56 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #62 and Mason #75 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Jacob and Mason over time
Jacob and Mason appear together in 5 published lists, across 126 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Mason in 0.
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.
Jacob reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Mason 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2012, Mason moved ahead of Jacob in New Zealand · Boys — #11 and #15 the year before became #7 and #5.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jacob and Mason changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 2003 and 2025, ending at #42 and #56.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jacob and Mason averaged 41.8 places apart, ending at #30 and #63.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Jacob #4 in 2013, Mason #27 in 2013.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Mason in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, Mason #27 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, Mason #63.
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1998–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Mason in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #5 in 2017, Mason #15 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #13, Mason #61.
Republic of Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1993–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Mason in 9.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #37 in 2016, Mason #32 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #62, Mason #75.
New Zealand · Boys24 shared years, 2000–2023
Jacob held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Mason in 12.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #6 in 2003, Mason #4 in 2014.
The order changed in 2012: Mason moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #11 and #15; by 2012 that had become #7 and #5.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jacob #66, Mason #26.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys22 shared years, 2003–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Mason in 2.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #10 in 2015, Mason #14 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #42, Mason #56.
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 | Mason |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | Originally an occupational surname/vocabulary word meaning 'stoneworker', later adopted as a given name. The deeper root of the word itself is disputed among etymologists — a Germanic (Frankish) origin versus an alternative Medieval Latin source. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin | English surname, from Old French masson/macon |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ | /ˈmeɪsən/ |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #56 (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 | medium |
What the data shows
- Jacob is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin origin, while Mason is recorded with a English surname, from Old French masson/macon origin.
- Jacob and Mason both have 2 syllables.
- Jacob's recorded meaning differs from Mason's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, 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
Mason
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #339 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2000–2023
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New Zealand, in 2014 (recorded 2000–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #56 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys