Aaron vs John
Aaron and Johncompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #71 and John #29 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #187 and John #67 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and John #78 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2019, Aaron was ranked #86 and John #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2016, Aaron was ranked #88 and John #87 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and John #164 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #334 and John #161 among boys in Norway.
Aaron and John over time
Aaron and John appear together in 6 published lists, across 256 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Aaron in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2014, Aaron moved ahead of John in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #92 and #89 the year before became #91 and #95.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Aaron and John changed places 7 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1969 and 2019, ending at #86 and #97.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Aaron and John averaged 23.5 places apart, ending at #154 and #164.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and John were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 47 years, from 1969 to 2019, ending at #86 and #97.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Aaron #31 in 1998, John #46 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1965–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 19 of those years, John in 41.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #6 in 1998, John #1 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, John #29.
New Zealand · Boys49 shared years, 1966–2016
Aaron held the stronger position in 15 of those years, John in 34.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 1972, John #5 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Aaron #88, John #87.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys47 shared years, 1969–2019
Aaron held the stronger position in 25 of those years, John in 22.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #18 in 1986, John #7 in 1969.
The order changed in 2014: Aaron moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #92 and #89; by 2014 that had become #91 and #95.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Aaron #86, John #97.
Norway · Boys43 shared years, 1972–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 43.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #162 in 2015, John #28 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #334, John #161.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 29 of those years, John in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, John #46 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, John #164.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 18 of those years, John in 10.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 2000, John #17 in 1997.
The order changed in 2015: John moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #52 and #53; by 2015 that had become #59 and #44.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, John #67.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Aaron | John |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Best known as the name of Moses's elder brother and the first high priest of Israel in the Old Testament; the literal meaning of the name itself is not reliably established. | From Hebrew Yochanan, 'Yahweh is gracious', via Greek Ioannes and Latin Iohannes. One of the most widespread names in Christian Europe, associated with both John the Baptist and the apostle John. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | /ˈjɔn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aaron is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) origin, while John is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Aaron has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for John.
- Aaron's recorded meaning differs from John's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Aaron
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
John
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #20 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2019
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–2019).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #161 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys