Arthur vs Jack
Arthur and Jackcompared 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, Arthur was ranked #57 and Jack #2 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #4 and Jack #22 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Arthur was ranked #11 and Jack #4 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #16 and Jack #4 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #24 and Jack #7 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #19 and Jack #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #83 and Jack #432 among boys in Norway.
Arthur and Jack over time
Arthur and Jack appear together in 6 published lists, across 195 years of shared records. Jack held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Arthur in 1.
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.
Jack reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Arthur 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 2019, Arthur moved ahead of Jack in England and Wales · Boys — #7 and #5 the year before became #4 and #8.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Arthur and Jack changed places 16 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #83 and #432.
- Longest-running competitions
Arthur and Jack were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 74 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #83 and #432.
List by list
Norway · Boys74 shared years, 1945–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 44 of those years, Jack in 30.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #74 in 2020, Jack #151 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #83, Jack #432.
Republic of Ireland · Boys53 shared years, 1970–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Jack in 41.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #47 in 2024, Jack #1 in 2000.
The order changed in 1985: Jack moved ahead. In 1984 they stood at #174 and #224; by 1985 that had become #177 and #170.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #57, Jack #2.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Jack in 23.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #3 in 2020, Jack #1 in 1996.
The order changed in 2019: Arthur moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #7 and #5; by 2019 that had become #4 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #4, Jack #22.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2004–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jack in 20.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #14 in 2023, Jack #1 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #16, Jack #4.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 2014–2023
Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jack in 10.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #11 in 2023, Jack #2 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Arthur #11, Jack #4.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys9 shared years, 2017–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jack in 9.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #18 in 2024, Jack #3 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #19, Jack #10.
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 | Arthur | Jack |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | God is gracious (via John), though now used as an independent name. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman | English, historically a diminutive of John |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹθər/ | /ˈdʒæk/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Art, Artie | Jankin |
| 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #2 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Arthur is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman origin, while Jack is recorded with a English, historically a diminutive of John origin.
- Arthur has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jack.
- Arthur's recorded meaning differs from Jack'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
Arthur
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #153 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Jack
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #171 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys