Jacob vs Neill
Jacob and Neillcompared 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 2013, Jacob was ranked #4 and Neill #4685 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2007, Jacob was ranked #64 and Neill #357 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2001, Jacob was ranked #120 and Neill #409 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Jacob and Neill over time
Jacob and Neill appear together in 1 published list, across 13 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Neill 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.
Neill reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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 1993, Jacob moved ahead of Neill in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #230 and #205 the year before became #190 and #302.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 1980–2001
Jacob held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Neill in 6.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #116 in 2000, Neill #177 in 1987.
The order changed in 1993: Jacob moved ahead. In 1992 they stood at #230 and #205; by 1993 that had become #190 and #302.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Jacob #120, Neill #409.
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 | Neill |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| 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-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4685 (2013) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin); Neill does not have one recorded yet.
- Jacob has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Neill.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Neill doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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
Neill
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #191 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2001
Highest recorded position: #154 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1983 (recorded 1964–2001).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2001
Most recently recorded at #409 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2001.
Republic of Ireland · Boys