Jacob vs Theo
Jacob and Theocompared 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 Theo #4 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #13 and Theo #5 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and Theo #12 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jacob was ranked #66 and Theo #19 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #62 and Theo #21 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #59 and Theo #22 among boys in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #42 and Theo #32 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Jacob and Theo over time
Jacob and Theo appear together in 5 published lists, across 127 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Theo in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 5 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 5 of those lists, and Theo 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 took the other's place near the top
In Norway · Boys, Theo moved into the top 50 at #34 in 2018 as Jacob fell out of it to #53, having been #34 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2020, Theo moved ahead of Jacob in England and Wales · Boys — #11 and #16 the year before became #19 and #17.
- Longest-running competitions
Jacob and Theo were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 36 years, from 1986 to 2025, ending at #59 and #22.
List by list
Norway · Boys36 shared years, 1986–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Theo in 17.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #34 in 2017, Theo #17 in 2024.
The order changed in 2018: Theo moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #34 and #35; by 2018 that had become #53 and #34.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #59, Theo #22.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Theo in 5.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, Theo #9 in 2022.
The order changed in 2020: Theo moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #11 and #16; by 2020 that had become #19 and #17.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, Theo #12.
Republic of Ireland · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Theo in 6.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #37 in 2016, Theo #13 in 2024.
The order changed in 2020: Theo moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #38 and #48; by 2020 that had become #37 and #34.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #62, Theo #21.
Northern Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 2001–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Theo in 5.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #5 in 2017, Theo #4 in 2022.
The order changed in 2020: Theo moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #7 and #13; by 2020 that had become #13 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #13, Theo #5.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 2014–2023
Jacob held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Theo in 4.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #10 in 2014, Theo #19 in 2023.
The order changed in 2020: Theo moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #27 and #44; by 2020 that had become #36 and #35.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jacob #66, Theo #19.
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 | Theo |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | Gift of God. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin | Greek, via Theodore/Theodora |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪkəb/ | /ˈθioʊ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Teddy |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #21 (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 Theo is recorded with a Greek, via Theodore/Theodora origin.
- Jacob has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Theo.
- Jacob's recorded meaning differs from Theo's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Jacob a "medium" Data Confidence level and Theo 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
Theo
Popularity journey
First recorded1986
First recorded at #637 among boys in Norway in 1986 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2001–2024
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 2001–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #32 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys