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