Jacob vs Oliver
Jacob and Olivercompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #42 and Oliver #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jacob was ranked #66 and Oliver #2 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and Oliver #3 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #59 and Oliver #5 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #27 and Oliver #7 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #13 and Oliver #10 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #62 and Oliver #18 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Jacob and Oliver over time
Jacob and Oliver appear together in 6 published lists, across 234 years of shared records. Oliver held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Jacob 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.
Jacob reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Oliver in 2. 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 2006, Oliver moved ahead of Jacob in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #17 and #22 the year before became #19 and #18.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jacob and Oliver changed places 9 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #13 and #10.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jacob and Oliver averaged 12.5 places apart, ending at #30 and #3.
- Longest-running competitions
Jacob and Oliver were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 37 years, from 1989 to 2025, ending at #42 and #2.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Jacob #5 in 2017, Oliver #3 in 2016.
List by list
Norway · Boys60 shared years, 1959–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Oliver in 33.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #34 in 2017, Oliver #1 in 2018.
The order changed in 1997: Oliver moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #124 and #162; by 1997 that had become #114 and #103.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #59, Oliver #5.
New Zealand · Boys40 shared years, 1983–2023
Jacob held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Oliver in 17.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #6 in 2003, Oliver #1 in 2013.
The order changed in 2007: Oliver moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #7 and #12; by 2007 that had become #11 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jacob #66, Oliver #2.
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1980–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Oliver in 33.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #37 in 2016, Oliver #18 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #62, Oliver #18.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys37 shared years, 1989–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Oliver in 20.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #10 in 1999, Oliver #1 in 2014.
The order changed in 2006: Oliver moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #17 and #22; by 2006 that had become #19 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #42, Oliver #2.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Oliver in 29.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, Oliver #1 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, Oliver #3.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Oliver in 18.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #5 in 2017, Oliver #3 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #13, Oliver #10.
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 | Oliver |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree', though the true root is debated. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin | Old French |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ | /ˈɒlɪvər/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Ollie, Olivier, Oliviero |
| 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) | United Kingdom #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin origin, while Oliver is recorded with a Old French origin.
- Jacob has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Oliver.
- Jacob's recorded meaning differs from Oliver'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
Oliver
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #478 among boys in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2009 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys