Namewise

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.

  • 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.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Arthur was ranked #5 and Jack #24 among boys in England and Wales.

  • 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 196 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.

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 · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Arthur held the stronger position in 7 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, 2025: Arthur #5, Jack #24.

  • 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Arthur

Pairs where Arthur shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Jack

Pairs where Jack shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

Pairs measured inside England and Wales's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

England and Wales overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Arthur, Jack
FieldArthurJack
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningMeaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence.God is gracious (via John), though now used as an independent name.
OriginDisputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly RomanEnglish, historically a diminutive of John
Pronunciation/ˈɑɹθər//ˈdʒæk/
Syllables21
Common variants / nicknamesArt, ArtieJankin
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Boys #5 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #2 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighhigh

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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #5 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Jack

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #24 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys