Jacob vs Oscar
Jacob and Oscarcompared 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 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and Oscar #9 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #13 and Oscar #34 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #42 and Oscar #17 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jacob was ranked #66 and Oscar #20 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #27 and Oscar #22 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #62 and Oscar #31 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #59 and Oscar #51 among boys in Norway.
Jacob and Oscar over time
Jacob and Oscar appear together in 6 published lists, across 213 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Oscar in 1.
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.
Jacob reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Oscar 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 2018, Oscar moved ahead of Jacob in England and Wales · Boys — #6 and #8 the year before became #11 and #9.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jacob and Oscar changed places 24 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #59 and #51.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jacob and Oscar averaged 25.9 places apart, ending at #30 and #9.
- Longest-running competitions
Jacob and Oscar were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 73 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #59 and #51.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Jacob #4 in 2013, Oscar #7 in 2013.
List by list
Norway · Boys73 shared years, 1945–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Oscar in 32.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #34 in 2017, Oscar #35 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #59, Oscar #51.
Republic of Ireland · Boys34 shared years, 1992–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Oscar in 23.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #37 in 2016, Oscar #30 in 2021.
The order changed in 2020: Oscar moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #38 and #43; by 2020 that had become #37 and #31.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #62, Oscar #31.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Oscar in 7.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, Oscar #7 in 2013.
The order changed in 2018: Oscar moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #6 and #8; by 2018 that had become #11 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, Oscar #9.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys27 shared years, 1999–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Oscar in 5.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #10 in 1999, Oscar #17 in 2025.
The order changed in 2021: Oscar moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #17 and #24; by 2021 that had become #37 and #21.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #42, Oscar #17.
New Zealand · Boys25 shared years, 1998–2023
Jacob held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Oscar in 7.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #6 in 2003, Oscar #11 in 2022.
The order changed in 2017: Oscar moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #25 and #39; by 2017 that had become #27 and #22.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jacob #66, Oscar #20.
Northern Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1999–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Oscar in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #5 in 2017, Oscar #24 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #13, Oscar #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 | Oscar |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | Possibly 'deer friend' (Irish), or possibly derived from an Old English/Old Norse name meaning 'god spear' — the origin is genuinely disputed. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin | Disputed — possibly Irish, possibly Old English/Old Norse |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ | /ˈɑskər/ |
| 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) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #17 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin origin, while Oscar is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Irish, possibly Old English/Old Norse origin.
- Jacob and Oscar both have 2 syllables.
- Jacob's recorded meaning differs from Oscar'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
Oscar
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #263 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: #7 among boys in England and Wales, in 2013 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #17 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys