Jake vs Kai
Jake and Kaicompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jake was ranked #95 and Kai #34 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2020, Jake was ranked #87 and Kai #50 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jake was ranked #165 and Kai #56 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jake was ranked #84 and Kai #69 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jake was ranked #185 and Kai #72 among boys in England and Wales.
Jake and Kai over time
Jake and Kai appear together in 4 published lists, across 101 years of shared records. Jake held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Kai in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Jake reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Kai 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 Republic of Ireland · Boys, Kai moved into the top 50 at #33 in 2022 as Jake fell out of it to #56, having been #44 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2020, Kai moved ahead of Jake in England and Wales · Boys — #80 and #109 the year before became #107 and #103.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jake and Kai averaged 49.4 places apart, ending at #185 and #72.
- Mirrored each other
Over 27 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Kai rose about as far as Jake fell — from #52 and #272 in 1998 to #84 and #69 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jake held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Kai in 5.
Highest recorded here: Jake #15 in 2006, Kai #56 in 2003.
The order changed in 2020: Kai moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #80 and #109; by 2020 that had become #107 and #103.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jake #185, Kai #72.
Republic of Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2025
Jake held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Kai in 4.
Highest recorded here: Jake #25 in 2015, Kai #30 in 2024.
The order changed in 2022: Kai moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #44 and #51; by 2022 that had become #56 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jake #95, Kai #34.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1998–2024
Jake held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Kai in 2.
Highest recorded here: Jake #10 in 2015, Kai #52 in 2021.
The order changed in 2023: Kai moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #44 and #67; by 2023 that had become #73 and #52.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jake #84, Kai #69.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2002–2020
Jake held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Kai in 4.
Highest recorded here: Jake #24 in 2006, Kai #48 in 2018.
The order changed in 2016: Kai moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #60 and #73; by 2016 that had become #91 and #51.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Jake #87, Kai #50.
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 | Jake | Kai |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A medieval variant of Jack, also sometimes used as a short form of Jacob. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English, medieval variant | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒeɪk/ | 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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #95 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #23 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jake has a recorded origin (English, medieval variant); Kai does not have one recorded yet.
- Jake has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kai.
- A meaning is recorded for Jake; Kai doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Jake
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1986–2020
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1994 (recorded 1986–2020).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #95 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Kai
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #76 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2002–2025
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2002–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys