Jakob vs Kenneth
Jakob and Kennethcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2021, Jakob was ranked #14 and Kenneth #475 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2007, Jakob was ranked #357 and Kenneth #315 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Jakob was ranked #556 and Kenneth #637 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jakob was ranked #1402 and Kenneth #968 among boys in England and Wales.
Jakob and Kenneth over time
Jakob and Kenneth appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Kenneth held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Jakob in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Kenneth reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Jakob 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jakob and Kenneth changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2021, ending at #14 and #475.
- Mirrored each other
Over 76 shared years in Norway · Boys, Jakob rose about as far as Kenneth fell — from #150 and #303 in 1945 to #14 and #475 in 2021.
- Longest-running competitions
Jakob and Kenneth were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 76 years, from 1945 to 2021, ending at #14 and #475.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Jakob #317 in 2001, Kenneth #184 in 2003.
List by list
Norway · Boys76 shared years, 1945–2021
Jakob held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Kenneth in 44.
Highest recorded here: Jakob #6 in 2019, Kenneth #10 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Jakob #14, Kenneth #475.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jakob held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Kenneth in 1.
Highest recorded here: Jakob #287 in 2000, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
The order changed in 2024: Kenneth moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #1139 and #1207; by 2024 that had become #1402 and #968.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jakob #1402, Kenneth #968.
Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2001–2020
Jakob held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Kenneth in 11.
Highest recorded here: Jakob #317 in 2001, Kenneth #184 in 2003.
The order changed in 2020: Jakob moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #764 and #646; by 2020 that had become #556 and #637.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Jakob #556, Kenneth #637.
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 | Jakob | Kenneth |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A form of Jacob (or James) used across Germanic and Scandinavian languages, from the Hebrew Ya'akov. | An Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed, of Scottish Gaelic origin. Borne by the Scottish king Kenneth mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission | Scottish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɑː.kɔp/ | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #9 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jakob is recorded with a Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission origin, while Kenneth is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic origin.
- Jakob and Kenneth both have 2 syllables.
- Jakob's recorded meaning differs from Kenneth's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Jakob
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #150 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2019 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #9 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Kenneth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2021
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #968 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys