Jake vs Oscar
Jake and Oscarcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jake was ranked #185 and Oscar #9 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2017, Jake was ranked #96 and Oscar #22 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jake was ranked #165 and Oscar #22 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2020, Jake was ranked #87 and Oscar #24 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jake was ranked #95 and Oscar #31 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jake was ranked #84 and Oscar #34 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Jake and Oscar over time
Jake and Oscar appear together in 5 published lists, across 128 years of shared records. Jake held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Oscar in 1.
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.
Jake reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Oscar 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 Northern Ireland · Boys, Oscar moved into the top 50 at #25 in 2023 as Jake fell out of it to #73, having been #44 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2009, Oscar moved ahead of Jake in England and Wales · Boys — #23 and #30 the year before became #27 and #23.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jake and Oscar changed places 5 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1998 and 2017, ending at #96 and #22.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jake and Oscar averaged 57.4 places apart, ending at #185 and #9.
- Mirrored each other
Over 25 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Oscar rose about as far as Jake fell — from #49 and #277 in 1999 to #84 and #34 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Jake and Oscar were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 34 years, from 1992 to 2025, ending at #95 and #31.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Jake #10 in 2015, Oscar #24 in 2014.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys34 shared years, 1992–2025
Jake held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Oscar in 7.
Highest recorded here: Jake #25 in 2015, Oscar #30 in 2021.
The order changed in 2020: Oscar moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #37 and #43; by 2020 that had become #46 and #31.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jake #95, Oscar #31.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jake held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Oscar in 16.
Highest recorded here: Jake #15 in 2006, Oscar #7 in 2013.
The order changed in 2009: Oscar moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #23 and #30; by 2009 that had become #27 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jake #185, Oscar #9.
Northern Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1999–2024
Jake held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Oscar in 4.
Highest recorded here: Jake #10 in 2015, Oscar #24 in 2014.
The order changed in 2023: Oscar moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #44 and #51; by 2023 that had become #73 and #25.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jake #84, Oscar #34.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys21 shared years, 1999–2020
Jake held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Oscar in 8.
Highest recorded here: Jake #19 in 1999, Oscar #21 in 2018.
The order changed in 2012: Oscar moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #28 and #30; by 2012 that had become #33 and #31.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Jake #87, Oscar #24.
New Zealand · Boys19 shared years, 1998–2017
Jake held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Oscar in 9.
Highest recorded here: Jake #44 in 2005, Oscar #22 in 2017.
The order changed in 2012: Oscar moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #46 and #47; by 2012 that had become #50 and #42.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Jake #96, Oscar #22.
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 | Oscar |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A medieval variant of Jack, also sometimes used as a short form of Jacob. | Possibly 'deer friend' (Irish), or possibly derived from an Old English/Old Norse name meaning 'god spear' — the origin is genuinely disputed. |
| Origin | English, medieval variant | Disputed — possibly Irish, possibly Old English/Old Norse |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒeɪk/ | /ˈɑskər/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #95 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #17 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jake is recorded with a English, medieval variant origin, while Oscar is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Irish, possibly Old English/Old Norse origin.
- Jake and Oscar both have 2 syllables.
- Jake's recorded meaning differs from Oscar's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Oscar
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #263 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: #7 among boys in England and Wales, in 2013 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #17 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys