Jake
Say it: JAKE/d͡ʒeɪk/
BoyMeans short for Jacob, usually linked with "heel"4 letters1 syllable
#95
in Ireland (2025)
#98 with spellings combined
60
babies in 2025
#25
best rank (2015)
6,354
babies since 1983
Down 73
10-year rank change
Jake through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 60 | #98 |
| 2024 | 92 | #65 |
| 2023 | 106 | #58 |
| 2022 | 112 | #60 |
| 2021 | 147 | #44 |
| 2020 | 129 | #48 |
| 2019 | 166 | #38 |
| 2018 | 182 | #40 |
| 2017 | 184 | #36 |
| 2016 | 225 | #33 |
| 2015 | 285 | #25 |
| 2014 | 263 | #27 |
| 2013 | 295 | #26 |
| 2012 | 265 | #31 |
| 2011 | 247 | #34 |
| 2010 | 297 | #30 |
| 2009 | 248 | #35 |
| 2008 | 286 | #30 |
| 2007 | 320 | #28 |
| 2006 | 297 | #29 |
| 2005 | 276 | #30 |
| 2004 | 206 | #36 |
| 2003 | 236 | #31 |
| 2002 | 227 | #30 |
| 2001 | 224 | #34 |
| 2000 | 161 | #42 |
| 1999 | 125 | #51 |
| 1998 | 110 | #51 |
| 1997 | 116 | #64 |
| 1996 | 106 | #67 |
| 1995 | 87 | #73 |
| 1994 | 74 | #82 |
| 1993 | 56 | #100 |
| 1992 | 44 | #113 |
| 1991 | 41 | #116 |
| 1990 | 27 | #144 |
| 1989 | 15 | #173 |
| 1988 | 7 | #215 |
| 1987 | 4 | #272 |
| 1986 | 3 | #317 |
| 1983 | 3 | #330 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Jake mean?
Short for Jacob, usually linked with "heel"
English, first a medieval form of Jack, now used as a short form of Jacob.
Say it right
JAKE
The story of Jake
Jake began in the Middle Ages as a form of Jack. Today it is mostly treated as a short form of Jacob, and sometimes of James, which is itself a later form of Jacob. Through Jacob it goes back to the Hebrew Yaakov, usually linked with the word for “heel”.
In Ireland it has been registered as a full name for decades. Jake first reached the CSO list in 1983 and rose quickly through the 1990s, becoming one of the leading boys’ names of the 2000s. It had its biggest year in 2007, with 320 boys. Its best rank came in 2015, at number 25.
It has fallen back since, and it was number 95 on the CSO list in 2025. In Northern Ireland it did even better at its height, reaching 10th in 2015.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Jake (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Jake (given name)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Jake | 60 | 6,354 |
In Northern Ireland
#126 in 2025 with 18 babies. Best rank #10 (2015); 2,630 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.