Jacob vs Oakley
Jacob and Oakleycompared 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 Oakley #177 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #27 and Oakley #110 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and Oakley #34 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #62 and Oakley #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jacob was ranked #66 and Oakley #75 among boys in New Zealand.
Jacob and Oakley over time
Jacob and Oakley appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Oakley in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Jacob reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Oakley 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Oakley in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, Oakley #34 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, Oakley #34.
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 | Oakley |
|---|---|---|
| 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-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| 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); Oakley does not have one recorded yet.
- Jacob and Oakley both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Oakley doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Oakley
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #3126 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #34 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys