Namewise

Jake vs James

Jake and Jamescompared 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, Jake was ranked #84 and James #1 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Jake was ranked #95 and James #4 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2017, Jake was ranked #96 and James #6 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2020, Jake was ranked #87 and James #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Jake was ranked #165 and James #14 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Jake was ranked #235 and James #42 among boys in England and Wales.

Jake and James over time

Jake and James appear together in 5 published lists, across 159 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Jake in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

James reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Jake 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.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jake and James averaged 42.5 places apart, ending at #235 and #42.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Jake and James were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #235 and #42.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Jake #7 in 1994, James #3 in 1996.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1983–2025

    Jake held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 41.

    Highest recorded here: Jake #25 in 2015, James #1 in 1994.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jake #95, James #4.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys34 shared years, 1986–2020

    Jake held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 34.

    Highest recorded here: Jake #7 in 1994, James #3 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2020: Jake #87, James #11.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Jake held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Jake #15 in 2006, James #2 in 1997.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Jake #235, James #42.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Jake held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 28.

    Highest recorded here: Jake #10 in 2015, James #1 in 2015.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Jake #84, James #1.

  • New Zealand · Boys26 shared years, 1991–2017

    Jake held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Jake #44 in 2005, James #2 in 1993.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Jake #96, James #6.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Jake

Pairs where Jake shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving James

Pairs where James shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from Northern Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Northern Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Northern Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Jake, James
FieldJakeJames
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningA medieval variant of Jack, also sometimes used as a short form of Jacob.Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob).
OriginEnglish, medieval variantHebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus
Pronunciation/ˈd͡ʒeɪk//ˈdʒeɪmz/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedJim, Jamie, Iacomus
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #95 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediumhigh

What the data shows

  • Jake is recorded with a English, medieval variant origin, while James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin.
  • Jake and James both have 2 syllables.
  • Jake's recorded meaning differs from James'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 Jake a "medium" Data Confidence level and James a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.

How each name got here

Jake

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1983

    First recorded at #330 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1983 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1986–2020

    Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1994 (recorded 1986–2020).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #235 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

James

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #42 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys