Jacob vs Todd
Jacob and Toddcompared 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 Zealand · Boys
In 1994, Jacob was ranked #14 and Todd #96 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1992, Jacob was ranked #25 and Todd #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and Todd #1675 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2005, Jacob was ranked #62 and Todd #307 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2012, Jacob was ranked #64 and Todd #718 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Jacob and Todd over time
Jacob and Todd appear together in 2 published lists, across 40 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Todd in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Todd reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Jacob 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 moved ahead of the other
In 1986, Jacob moved ahead of Todd in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #59 and #55 the year before became #54 and #57.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Todd in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, Todd #202 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, Todd #1675.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys11 shared years, 1982–1992
Jacob held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Todd in 4.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #23 in 1991, Todd #55 in 1985.
The order changed in 1986: Jacob moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #59 and #55; by 1986 that had become #54 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 1992: Jacob #25, Todd #83.
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 | Todd |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #42 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1675 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| 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); Todd does not have one recorded yet.
- Jacob has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Todd.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Todd doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Todd
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #92 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–1992
Highest recorded position: #55 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1985 (recorded 1964–1992).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1675 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys