Jacob vs Matthew
Jacob and Matthewcompared 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 Matthew #42 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #27 and Matthew #73 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and Matthew #149 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2023, Jacob was ranked #30 and Matthew #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #62 and Matthew #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Jacob was ranked #60 and Matthew #421 among boys in Norway.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jacob was ranked #66 and Matthew #99 among boys in New Zealand.
Jacob and Matthew over time
Jacob and Matthew appear together in 6 published lists, across 230 years of shared records. Matthew held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Jacob 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.
Matthew reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 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 2007, Jacob moved ahead of Matthew in England and Wales · Boys — #22 and #18 the year before became #20 and #24.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jacob and Matthew changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 2023, ending at #60 and #421.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jacob and Matthew averaged 43.2 places apart, ending at #30 and #149.
- Longest-running competitions
Jacob and Matthew were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 42 years, from 1982 to 2023, ending at #30 and #85.
List by list
Norway · Boys47 shared years, 1966–2023
Jacob held the stronger position in 44 of those years, Matthew in 3.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #50 in 2015, Matthew #267 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jacob #60, Matthew #421.
New Zealand · Boys44 shared years, 1977–2023
Jacob held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Matthew in 23.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #6 in 2003, Matthew #1 in 1990.
The order changed in 2005: Jacob moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #8 and #6; by 2005 that had become #10 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jacob #66, Matthew #99.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys42 shared years, 1982–2023
Jacob held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Matthew in 26.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #10 in 1999, Matthew #1 in 1982.
The order changed in 2008: Jacob moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #21 and #17; by 2008 that had become #20 and #22.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jacob #30, Matthew #85.
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1980–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Matthew in 39.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #37 in 2016, Matthew #15 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #62, Matthew #55.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Matthew in 11.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, Matthew #6 in 1996.
The order changed in 2007: Jacob moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #22 and #18; by 2007 that had become #20 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, Matthew #149.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Matthew in 18.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #5 in 2017, Matthew #1 in 1997.
The order changed in 2016: Jacob moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #12 and #7; by 2016 that had become #7 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #13, Matthew #42.
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 | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | From Greek Matthaios, from Hebrew Mattithiah, combining 'mattat' (gift) with 'Yahweh' — 'gift of God'. Matthew was a tax collector and one of the twelve apostles, traditionally credited as author of the first Gospel. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ | /ˈmæθ.juː/ |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #55 (2025) |
| 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 Matthew is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Jacob and Matthew both have 2 syllables.
- Jacob's recorded meaning differs from Matthew'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
Matthew
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #78 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1957–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1982 (recorded 1957–2023).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys