How popular is the baby name Jacob in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Jacob.

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Popularity of the baby name Jacob


Posts that mention the name Jacob

Popular baby names in Norway, 2024

Flag of Norway
Flag of Norway

Last year, the Scandinavian country of Norway welcomed 54,013 babies — 26,129 girls and 27,884 boys.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Nora and Lucas.

Here are Norway’s top 50 girl names and top 50 boy names of 2024:

Girl names

  1. Nora/Norah/Noora, 385 baby girls
  2. Emma, 379
  3. Olivia/Oliwia, 342
  4. Sofie/Sophie, 329
  5. Ella, 324
  6. Maja/Maya/Maia, 307 (tie)
  7. Sofia/Sophia, 307 (tie)
  8. Leah/Lea, 303
  9. Selma, 291
  10. Ellinor/Elinor, 280
  11. Hedda, 277
  12. Alma, 268
  13. Frida, 264
  14. Iben, 253
  15. Ingrid, 249
  16. Astrid/Astri, 248
  17. Emilie, 245
  18. Sara/Sarah/Zara, 242
  19. Mia, 239
  20. Ada, 238
  21. Lilly/Lily, 225
  22. Tiril/Tirill, 215
  23. Amalie, 205
  24. Aurora, 194
  25. Hedvig, 191 (tie)
  26. Jenny/Jennie, 191 (tie)
  27. Josefine/Josephine, 189
  28. Ellie/Elli/Elly, 185
  29. Eva, 179
  30. Hennie/Henny, 178
  31. Hanna/Hannah, 174
  32. Vilde, 170
  33. Mathilde/Matilde, 167
  34. Anna, 164
  35. Live, 158 (tie)
  36. Saga, 158 (tie)
  37. Tuva, 157
  38. Solveig/Solvei, 152
  39. Linnea/Linea, 151
  40. Ida, 147
  41. Sigrid, 144
  42. Amelia, 141
  43. Thea, 138
  44. Marie, 136
  45. Mille, 135
  46. Eline, 133
  47. Eira, 130 (tie)
  48. Signe, 130 (tie)
  49. Mie, 124
  50. Hermine, 121

Boy names

  1. Lucas/Lukas, 431 baby boys
  2. Noah/Noa, 402
  3. Oliver, 398
  4. Emil, 396
  5. Jakob/Jacob, 386
  6. William, 360
  7. Theodor/Teodor, 356
  8. Ludvig/Ludvik/Ludwig, 336
  9. Liam, 330
  10. Johannes, 322
  11. Elias, 319
  12. Isak/Isaac/Isac, 316
  13. Filip/Philip/Fillip/Phillip, 312
  14. Oskar/Oscar, 310
  15. Olav, 298
  16. Henrik, 292
  17. Aksel/Axel, 290
  18. Theo/Teo, 275
  19. Kasper/Casper/Kacper, 272
  20. Tobias, 267
  21. Magnus, 264
  22. Ulrik, 250
  23. Adam, 247
  24. Matheo, 246
  25. Gustav, 234 (tie)
  26. Muhammad/Mohammad/Mohammed/Mohamed/Muhammed/Mohamad, 234 (tie)
  27. Alfred, 228
  28. Herman/Hermann, 210
  29. Håkon/Haakon, 204
  30. Mathias/Matias/Mattias, 203
  31. Sander, 197 (tie)
  32. Sverre, 197 (tie)
  33. Even, 195 – looks like Evan, but actually comes from the Old Norse name Eyvindr
  34. Mikkel, 194
  35. Viktor/Victor/Wiktor, 193
  36. Leo, 187
  37. Felix, 184
  38. Vetle, 178
  39. Birk, 177
  40. Leon, 176
  41. Iver, 173
  42. Edvin/Edwin, 170 (tie)
  43. Odin, 170 (tie)
  44. Johan, 169
  45. Luca/Luka, 165
  46. Benjamin, 163
  47. Jens, 159
  48. Jonas, 158
  49. Alexander/Aleksander, 157
  50. Markus/Marcus, 146

Interestingly, “almost every fifth child” born in Norway last year received a double name. The most popular combination was Emma Sofie, which was given to 14 baby girls.

I didn’t post about Norway’s top baby names of 2023, but here are Norway’s 2022 rankings.

Sources: Statistikk om Navn – Statistics Norway, Sjekk listen over de mest populære navnene i 2024 – SSB, Births – Statistics Norway

Image: Adapted from Flag of Norway (public domain)

Popular and unique baby names in Alberta (Canada), 2024

Flag of Alberta
Flag of Alberta

Last year, the Canadian province of Alberta welcomed more than 50,000 babies.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Olivia and Noah, for the sixth year in a row.

Here are Alberta’s top 50+ girl names and top 50+ boy names of 2024:

Girl names

  1. Olivia, 184 baby girls
  2. Charlotte, 164
  3. Amelia, 150
  4. Sophia, 146
  5. Emma, 145
  6. Ava, 120
  7. Harper, 115 (tie)
  8. Isla, 115 (tie)
  9. Hazel, 104 (tie)
  10. Sophie, 104 (tie)
  11. Ellie, 102 (3-way tie)
  12. Evelyn, 102 (3-way tie)
  13. Lily, 102 (3-way tie)
  14. Abigail, 98 (tie)
  15. Aurora, 98 (tie)
  16. Nora, 96
  17. Mia, 95
  18. Isabella, 90
  19. Ella, 88 (tie)
  20. Violet, 88 (tie)
  21. Elizabeth, 86
  22. Sofia, 85
  23. Chloe, 83 (tie)
  24. Scarlett, 83 (tie)
  25. Aria, 80 (tie)
  26. Emily, 80 (tie)
  27. Eleanor, 79
  28. Hannah, 76
  29. Hailey, 75 (tie)
  30. Ivy, 75 (tie)
  31. Mila, 73
  32. Grace, 72
  33. Luna, 70
  34. Maya, 69
  35. Georgia, 68 (tie)
  36. Maeve, 68 (tie)
  37. Lainey, 67
  38. Anna, 66 (tie)
  39. Eliana, 66 (tie)
  40. Emilia, 65
  41. Lucy, 64
  42. Audrey, 61 (tie)
  43. Naomi, 61 (tie)
  44. Avery, 58
  45. Rehmat, 56 (tie)
  46. Willow, 56 (tie)
  47. Adeline, 55 (tie)
  48. Zoey, 55 (tie)
  49. Sadie, 54 (tie)
  50. Stella, 54 (tie)
  51. Ayla, 53 (tie)
  52. Claire, 53 (tie)

Boy names

  1. Noah, 248 baby boys
  2. Oliver, 203
  3. Liam, 196
  4. Theodore, 187
  5. Henry, 160
  6. William, 148
  7. Ethan, 141 (tie)
  8. Leo, 141 (tie)
  9. Jack, 140
  10. Lucas, 139
  11. Levi, 138
  12. Benjamin, 133 (tie)
  13. James, 133 (tie)
  14. Adam, 126
  15. Wyatt, 119
  16. Daniel, 117
  17. Luca, 111
  18. Nathan, 108
  19. Hudson, 107 (tie)
  20. Owen, 107 (tie)
  21. Bennett, 105
  22. Elijah, 104
  23. Thomas, 103
  24. Logan, 102 (tie)
  25. Muhammad, 102 (tie)
  26. Luke, 96
  27. Beau, 95
  28. Maverick, 94
  29. Samuel, 88
  30. Arthur, 84
  31. Jacob, 83
  32. Asher, 81
  33. Cooper, 80 (tie)
  34. Jackson, 80 (tie)
  35. Caleb, 79 (3-way tie)
  36. Elias, 79 (3-way tie)
  37. Ezra, 79 (3-way tie)
  38. Gabriel, 78
  39. Alexander, 77
  40. David, 76
  41. Lincoln, 75
  42. Aiden, 74 (tie)
  43. Wesley, 74 (tie)
  44. Zorawar, 73
  45. Isaac, 71 (tie)
  46. Miles, 71 (tie)
  47. Theo, 70
  48. Carter, 68
  49. Grayson, 65 (5-way tie)
  50. John, 65 (5-way tie)
  51. Mason, 65 (5-way tie)
  52. Matthew, 65 (5-way tie)
  53. Ryan, 65 (5-way tie)

Lainey (ranked 37th) was one of Canada’s fastest-rising girl names, and Zorawar (ranked 44th) was one of Canada’s fastest-rising boy names.

What about the names at the other end of the spectrum? Here’s a selection of the baby names that were bestowed just once in Alberta last year:

Unique girl namesUnique boy names
Aapistsisskitsi, Brevity, Cleofe, Datura, Edrielle, Frishta, Guidance, Hivirikee, Ilunga, Jinanshi, Katawasisin, Luladay, Milto, Nocturna, Olithea, Persimmyn, Quindy, Rhodalyn, Sora, Tezlie, Urenna, Viridis, Waseskwan, Xaeia, Yarrow, ZanessraAalto, Behxhet, Cedar-Sage, Delaneaux, Entz, Fomo, Gloriliel, Haoqi, Invictus, Joonharu, Kamharida, Luigi, Miekkonen, Nîmihitow, Okimâw, Piyêsiw, Qyler, Ryunosuke, Shinichi, Tobit, Urvil, Valo, Woodland, Xevreau, Yipei, Zildjian

Some explanations for a few of the above:

  • Aapistsisskitsi means “flower blossom” in Blackfoot.
  • Invictus means “unconquered” in Latin.
  • Katawasisin means “it is beautiful” in Cree.
  • Meikkonen means “little man” in Finnish. (The word mies means “man.”)
  • Nîmihitow means “he/she dances” in Cree.
  • Okimâw means “chief, leader” in Cree.
  • Piyêsiw means “thunderbird” in Cree.
  • Viridis means “green, youthful” in Latin.
  • Waseskwan means “the sky is clear” in Cree.
  • Zildjian is a musical instrument maker specializing in cymbals.
    • The company was founded in the 1620s by Avedis, an Armenian metalsmith based in Constantinople. In 1623, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mustafa I, granted Avedis the family name Zildjian, meaning “son of [the] cymbal maker.”

Finally, here’s a link to Alberta’s 2023 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Alberta (public domain)

Popular baby names in the Philippines, 2023

Flag of the Philippines
Flag of the Philippines

Two years ago, the archipelagic country of the Philippines welcomed 1,448,522 babies — 695,190 (48%) girls and 753,332 (52%) boys.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Althea and Nathaniel.

Here are the country’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2023:

Girl names

  1. Althea, 1,850 baby girls
  2. Angel, 1,363
  3. Zoey, 1,126
  4. Chloe, 1,042
  5. Nathalie, 1,040
  6. Sofia, 989 [tie]
  7. Zia, 989 [tie]
  8. Princess, 975
  9. Samantha, 971
  10. Ayesha, 939

Boy names

  1. Nathaniel, 1,948 baby boys
  2. Gabriel, 1,669
  3. Jacob, 1,649
  4. Ezekiel, 1,592
  5. Ethan, 1,425
  6. Nathan, 1,421
  7. Matthew, 1,383
  8. Liam, 1,351
  9. Jayden, 1,341
  10. Noah, 1,235

In the girls’ top 10, Zoey and Ayesha replaced Athena and Sophia.

In the boys’ top 10, Jayden replaced James.

The name Argus — which derives from the Ancient Greek word argos, meaning “shining, bright” — was one of the fastest-rising names of the year, skyrocketing in usage from 7 baby boys in 2022 to 247 baby boys in 2023.

What made it trendy all of a sudden?

Child entertainer Argus Aspiras on the TV series "It's Showtime" (2009-)
Argus Aspiras on “It’s Showtime“

Child star Argus Aspiras, who was regularly featured on a children’s segment of the popular Philippine TV variety show It’s Showtime during 2023.

The compound name Yllana Marie also saw a steep rise in usage — from a one baby girl in 2022 to 30 baby girls in 2023. This increase can be attributed to Filipino beauty queen Yllana Marie Aduana, who placed first runner-up at the Miss Earth pageant in 2023.

(Althea and Nathaniel were also the top names in the country one year earlier, in 2022.)

Sources: The Philippines’ Most Common Baby Names of 2023 – Philippine Statistics Authority (PDF), Registered Live Births in the Philippines, 2023 – Philippine Statistics Authority, Argus – Behind the Name, It’s Showtime (Philippine TV program) – Wikipedia

Images: Adapted from Flag of the Philippines (public domain); screenshot of Argus Aspiras on It’s Showtime (episode from Aug. 2023)

Popular baby names in Quebec (Canada), 2024

Flag of Quebec
Flag of Quebec

Last year, the Canadian province of Quebec welcomed about 77,400 babies.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Emma and Noah.

Here are Quebec’s top 50+ girl names and top 50 boy names of 2024:

Girl names

  1. Emma, 461 baby girls
  2. Olivia, 452
  3. Florence, 449
  4. Charlotte, 447
  5. Alice, 407
  6. Charlie, 364
  7. Beatrice, 334
  8. Clara, 331
  9. Sofia, 327
  10. Livia, 298
  11. Lea, 285
  12. Romy, 281
  13. Mila, 280
  14. Juliette, 276
  15. Mia, 254
  16. Eva, 235
  17. Zoe, 234
  18. Rose, 232
  19. Victoria, 213
  20. Leonie, 212
  21. Billie, 206
  22. Julia, 205
  23. Rosalie, 198
  24. Chloe, 185
  25. Jeanne, 178
  26. Elena, 176 (tie)
  27. Flavie, 176 (tie)
  28. Jade, 173
  29. Elizabeth, 171
  30. Margot, 159
  31. Amelia, 158
  32. Adele, 152
  33. Eleonore, 149
  34. Ophelie, 144
  35. Raphaelle, 143
  36. Sophia, 140
  37. Clemence, 138
  38. Maeva, 135
  39. Camille, 130
  40. Lily, 129
  41. Ellie, 127
  42. Lena, 123
  43. Flora, 121
  44. Estelle, 109
  45. Aurelie, 107
  46. Eloise, 105 (tie)
  47. Marguerite, 105 (tie)
  48. Sophie, 104
  49. Jasmine, 102
  50. Evelyne, 101 (tie)
  51. Nora, 101 (tie)

Boy names

  1. Noah, 572 baby boys
  2. Leo, 531
  3. Liam, 494 (tie)
  4. William, 494 (tie)
  5. Thomas, 448
  6. Louis, 445
  7. Arthur, 435
  8. Edouard, 426
  9. Emile, 389
  10. Theo, 387
  11. Jacob, 354
  12. Charles, 346
  13. Adam, 340 (tie)
  14. Jules, 340 (tie)
  15. Nathan, 338
  16. James, 329
  17. Raphael, 303
  18. Laurent, 282
  19. Lucas, 274
  20. Theodore, 273
  21. Arnaud, 268
  22. Felix, 264
  23. Logan, 261
  24. Victor, 254
  25. Henri, 252
  26. Benjamin, 244
  27. Eloi, 237
  28. Elliot, 234
  29. Jackson, 228
  30. Gabriel, 226
  31. Samuel, 209
  32. Nolan, 204
  33. Milan, 203
  34. Ethan, 192
  35. Matheo, 181
  36. Antoine, 180
  37. Jayden, 168
  38. Olivier, 163
  39. Alexis, 159
  40. Leonard, 152
  41. Matteo, 139
  42. Eli, 137
  43. Robin, 131
  44. Hubert, 127
  45. Axel, 126
  46. Leon, 125 (tie)
  47. Zack, 125 (tie)
  48. Caleb, 124
  49. Jake, 123 (tie)
  50. Maverick, 123 (tie)

In the girls’ top 10, Clara and Sofia replaced Lea and Juliette.

In the boys’ top 10, Emile and Theo replaced Jacob and Nathan.

And what about the names at the other end of the spectrum?

Among those given to fewer than five babies, I spotted the place names Kenai and Sitka, the plant name Melilot (sweet clover), the French word Tantine (meaning “auntie”), and the Inuktitut versions of various Christian names:

  • Joanassie (based on John, Jonah, or Jonas)
  • Jusipi/Juusipi (based on Joseph)
  • Paulusie (based on Paul)
  • Silasie (based on Silas)
  • Tuumasi (based on Thomas)
  • Elisapee/Elisapi/Elisapie (based on Elizabeth)

I also noticed names from various indigenous languages, such as…

  • Aqiaruk, which means “stomach” in Inuktut.
  • Arnaq Talittuq, made up of the Inuktitut words arnaq, meaning “woman,” and talittuq, meaning “disappears, hides.”
  • Maikaniss, which means “wolf cub” in Innu. (The word maikan means “wolf.”)
  • Mispun, which means “it is snowing” in East Cree.
  • Missinak, which means “turtle” in Innu.
  • Nipinok, based on the Cree word nipinohk, meaning “last summer.” (The word nipin means “summer.”)
  • Piponik, based on the Cree word pipon, meaning both “winter” and “year.”
  • Putulik
  • Qumaluk
  • Tillikasak
  • Timangiak
  • Uashtessiu, part of the Innu term uashtessiu-pishimu, meaning “the month when the leaves become yellow” (i.e., October).
  • Uiviru
  • Ulluriaq, which means “star” in Inuktitut.
  • Weetalutuk

(I can’t give you the usual sampling of Quebec’s single-use names because, as of 2024, the province has decided to stop specifying which names were given to just one baby. The single-use names — along with the names that were given to two, three, and four babies — are now labeled “<5” in the data.)

Finally, here’s a link to Quebec’s 2023 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Quebec (public domain)