Jacob vs James
Head-to-head: full US statistics and history since 1880.
Jacob
a name gently stepping back from its peak
- Rank today
- #43
- Peak
- #1 (1999)
- Babies in 2025
- 6,152
- Classroom
- likely the only one
- Strongest states
- CA, TX, NY
VS
James
a steady, dependable choice
- Rank today
- #6
- Peak
- #1 (1940)
- Babies in 2025
- 11,945
- Classroom
- likely the only one
- Strongest states
- CA, TX, NY
The verdict
James is the more popular pick (#6 vs #43). Both sit in a similar popularity band — James is a steady, dependable choice, Jacob is a name gently stepping back from its peak.
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