| Daniel | Jacob | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is my judge | Supplanter |
| Origin | Hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | DAN-yul | JAY-kub |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1985 (38,559) | 1998 (36,031) |
| In 2025 | 8,085 | 6,152 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Daniel | Jacob |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 52,726 | 45,178 |
| 2010s | 133,952 | 163,321 |
| 2000s | 203,975 | 274,077 |
| 1990s | 272,360 | 298,415 |
| 1980s | 345,537 | 124,254 |
| 1970s | 244,454 | 36,351 |
| 1960s | 242,020 | 5,075 |
| 1950s | 243,727 | 5,400 |
| 1940s | 112,778 | 4,853 |
| 1930s | 47,998 | 5,264 |
| 1920s | 43,407 | 9,047 |
| 1910s | 23,978 | 8,684 |
| 1900s | 5,036 | 2,191 |
| 1890s | 5,185 | 2,551 |
| 1880s | 5,679 | 3,566 |
Daniel is Hebrew for “God is my judge.” In the Bible, the prophet Daniel famously survived a night in the lions’ den.
Jacob comes from the Hebrew Yaakov, linked to “heel” and read as “supplanter.” The patriarch Jacob’s twelve sons founded the tribes of Israel; the same name gives us James.
Daniel is more popular than Jacob today: about 8,085 US babies were given the name Daniel in 2025, compared with 6,152 named Jacob.
Daniel means God is my judge (Hebrew origin), while Jacob means Supplanter (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Daniel first appears in 1880 and Jacob in 1880, so Daniel has the longer recorded history.