Jacob vs Tommy
Jacob and Tommycompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #13 and Tommy #20 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #27 and Tommy #20 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #62 and Tommy #27 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #30 and Tommy #39 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Jacob was ranked #42 and Tommy #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Jacob was ranked #56 and Tommy #503 among boys in Norway.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jacob was ranked #66 and Tommy #68 among boys in New Zealand.
Jacob and Tommy over time
Jacob and Tommy appear together in 4 published lists, across 167 years of shared records. Jacob held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Tommy in 1.
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.
Jacob reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Tommy 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 moved ahead of the other
In 1998, Jacob moved ahead of Tommy in Norway · Boys — #114 and #78 the year before became #91 and #94.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jacob and Tommy changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1980 and 2025, ending at #62 and #27.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 38 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Jacob and Tommy averaged 39.3 places apart, ending at #62 and #27.
- Mirrored each other
Over 78 shared years in Norway · Boys, Jacob rose about as far as Tommy fell — from #273 and #268 in 1945 to #56 and #503 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Jacob and Tommy were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 78 years, from 1945 to 2024, ending at #56 and #503.
List by list
Norway · Boys78 shared years, 1945–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Tommy in 47.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #34 in 2017, Tommy #11 in 1976.
The order changed in 1998: Jacob moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #114 and #78; by 1998 that had become #91 and #94.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #56, Tommy #503.
Republic of Ireland · Boys38 shared years, 1980–2025
Jacob held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Tommy in 8.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #37 in 2016, Tommy #21 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jacob #62, Tommy #27.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Tommy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #4 in 2013, Tommy #22 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #30, Tommy #39.
Northern Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 1999–2024
Jacob held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Tommy in 3.
Highest recorded here: Jacob #5 in 2017, Tommy #11 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jacob #13, Tommy #20.
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 | Tommy |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #27 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek and Latin); Tommy does not have one recorded yet.
- Jacob and Tommy both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jacob; Tommy doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Tommy
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #268 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2024
Highest recorded position: #11 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2023 (recorded 1999–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys