Jacob vs Rory
Jacob and Rorycompared 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #27 and Rory #3 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #13 and Rory #33 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1994, Jacob was ranked #14 and Rory #99 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and Rory #24 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #42 and Rory #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #62 and Rory #60 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Jacob and Rory over time
Jacob and Rory appear together in 3 published lists, across 97 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Rory in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 2 of those lists, Rory in 1. 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Jacob moved into the top 50 at #24 in 2010 as Rory fell out of it to #61, having been #43 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Rory moved ahead of Jacob in England and Wales · Boys — #24 and #33 the year before became #30 and #24.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jacob and Rory changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #13 and #33.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Jacob and Rory averaged 30.2 places apart, ending at #13 and #33.
- Longest-running competitions
Jacob and Rory were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 40 years, from 1980 to 2025, ending at #62 and #60.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1980–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Rory in 28.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #37 in 2016, Rory #42 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #62, Rory #60.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Rory in 1.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, Rory #24 in 2024.
The order changed in 2024: Rory moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #24 and #33; by 2024 that had become #30 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, Rory #24.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Rory in 11.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #5 in 2017, Rory #28 in 2022.
The order changed in 2010: Jacob moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #51 and #43; by 2010 that had become #24 and #61.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #13, Rory #33.
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 | Rory |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | Red king. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin | Scottish and Irish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ | /ˈɹɔɹi/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Ruairidh, Ruaidhrí, Rorie, Ruaidhrí |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #60 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| 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 Rory is recorded with a Scottish and Irish Gaelic origin.
- Jacob and Rory both have 2 syllables.
- Jacob's recorded meaning differs from Rory's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Jacob a "medium" Data Confidence level and Rory 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
Rory
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #73 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 recorded2024–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Scotland, in 2024 (recorded 2024–2024).
Scotland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #60 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys