Jakob vs Nathaniel
Jakob and Nathanielcompared 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 2025, Jakob was ranked #9 and Nathaniel #170 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jakob was ranked #1402 and Nathaniel #144 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Jakob was ranked #556 and Nathaniel #219 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Jakob was ranked #414 and Nathaniel #234 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Jakob and Nathaniel over time
Jakob and Nathaniel appear together in 3 published lists, across 77 years of shared records. Nathaniel held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Jakob 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.
Nathaniel 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Jakob and Nathaniel were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 34 years, from 1989 to 2025, ending at #9 and #170.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Jakob #287 in 2000, Nathaniel #114 in 1999.
List by list
Norway · Boys34 shared years, 1989–2025
Jakob held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Nathaniel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jakob #6 in 2019, Nathaniel #109 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jakob #9, Nathaniel #170.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jakob held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Nathaniel in 29.
Highest recorded here: Jakob #287 in 2000, Nathaniel #114 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jakob #1402, Nathaniel #144.
Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2001–2020
Jakob held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Nathaniel in 13.
Highest recorded here: Jakob #317 in 2001, Nathaniel #219 in 2020.
The order changed in 2003: Nathaniel moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #317 and #347; by 2003 that had become #500 and #275.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Jakob #556, Nathaniel #219.
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 | Nathaniel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A form of Jacob (or James) used across Germanic and Scandinavian languages, from the Hebrew Ya'akov. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɑː.kɔp/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| 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) | Norway · Boys #170 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jakob has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via German/Scandinavian transmission); Nathaniel does not have one recorded yet.
- Jakob has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Nathaniel.
- A meaning is recorded for Jakob; Nathaniel doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Nathaniel
Popularity journey
First recorded1978
First recorded at #326 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1978 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2003–2014
Highest recorded position: #79 among boys in New Zealand, in 2012 (recorded 2003–2014).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #170 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys