Jacob vs Mohammed
Jacob and Mohammedcompared 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 Mohammed #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and Mohammed #21 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #27 and Mohammed #117 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #59 and Mohammed #128 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #62 and Mohammed #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Jacob and Mohammed over time
Jacob and Mohammed appear together in 4 published lists, across 153 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Mohammed in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Mohammed reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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 2024, Mohammed moved ahead of Jacob in England and Wales · Boys — #24 and #28 the year before became #30 and #21.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jacob and Mohammed changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #59 and #128.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jacob and Mohammed averaged 10.0 places apart, ending at #30 and #21.
- Mirrored each other
Over 36 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Jacob rose about as far as Mohammed fell — from #321 and #288 in 1980 to #62 and #468 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Jacob and Mohammed were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 78 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #59 and #128.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Jacob #5 in 2018, Mohammed #255 in 2018.
List by list
Norway · Boys78 shared years, 1945–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Mohammed in 44.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #34 in 2017, Mohammed #102 in 2002.
The order changed in 1996: Jacob moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #140 and #106; by 1996 that had become #124 and #128.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #59, Mohammed #128.
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1980–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Mohammed in 3.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #37 in 2016, Mohammed #179 in 1998.
The order changed in 1995: Jacob moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #251 and #238; by 1995 that had become #198 and #301.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #62, Mohammed #468.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Mohammed in 11.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, Mohammed #16 in 2008.
The order changed in 2024: Mohammed moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #24 and #28; by 2024 that had become #30 and #21.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, Mohammed #21.
Northern Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 1999–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Mohammed in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #5 in 2018, Mohammed #255 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #13, Mohammed #278.
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 | Mohammed |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | Alternate transcription of the Arabic محمّد, traditionally interpreted as 'praiseworthy, commendable' — the same underlying name as Muhammad, spelled via a different, independently well-established transliteration. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin | Arabic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ | /mu.ˈħam.mad/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Muhammad |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) | Norway · Boys #128 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Jacob is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin origin, while Mohammed is recorded with a Arabic origin.
- Jacob has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Mohammed.
- Jacob's recorded meaning differs from Mohammed's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Jacob a "medium" Data Confidence level and Mohammed a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Mohammed
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #218 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: #16 among boys in England and Wales, in 2008 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #128 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys