Namewise

Arthur vs James

Arthur and Jamescompared 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.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Arthur was ranked #16 and James #1 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Arthur was ranked #57 and James #4 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Arthur was ranked #5 and James #42 among boys in England and Wales.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Arthur was ranked #11 and James #15 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Arthur was ranked #24 and James #14 among boys in Scotland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2025, Arthur was ranked #19 and James #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Arthur was ranked #83 and James #355 among boys in Norway.

Arthur and James over time

Arthur and James appear together in 6 published lists, across 221 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Arthur in 1.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

James 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 · Boys76 shared years, 1945–2025

    Arthur held the stronger position in 50 of those years, James in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Arthur #74 in 2020, James #218 in 1978.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #83, James #355.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025

    Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 62.

    Highest recorded here: Arthur #47 in 2024, James #1 in 1994.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #57, James #4.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Arthur held the stronger position in 8 of those years, James in 22.

    Highest recorded here: Arthur #3 in 2020, James #2 in 1997.

    The order changed in 2018: Arthur moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #19 and #17; by 2018 that had become #7 and #21.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #5, James #42.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2004–2024

    Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Arthur #14 in 2023, James #1 in 2015.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #16, James #1.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 1952–2025

    Arthur held the stronger position in 1 of those years, James in 16.

    Highest recorded here: Arthur #18 in 2024, James #5 in 2017.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #19, James #15.

  • New Zealand · Boys16 shared years, 1954–2023

    Arthur held the stronger position in 2 of those years, James in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Arthur #11 in 2023, James #3 in 2014.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Arthur #11, James #15.

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 James

Pairs where James 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, James
FieldArthurJames
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningMeaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence.Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob).
OriginDisputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly RomanHebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus
Pronunciation/ˈɑɹθər//ˈdʒeɪmz/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesArt, ArtieJim, Jamie, Iacomus
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 #4 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10094/100
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 James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin.
  • Arthur and James both have 2 syllables.
  • Arthur's recorded meaning differs from James'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

James

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #344 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 recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #42 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys