Arthur vs John
Arthur 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #4 and John #164 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #16 and John #67 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2021, Arthur was ranked #20 and John #86 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #24 and John #78 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #57 and John #29 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2019, Arthur was ranked #51 and John #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #83 and John #161 among boys in Norway.
Arthur and John over time
Arthur and John appear together in 6 published lists, across 212 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Arthur in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 5 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 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Arthur moved into the top 50 at #21 in 2018 as John fell out of it to #60, having been #32 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2010, Arthur moved ahead of John in England and Wales · Boys — #93 and #83 the year before became #82 and #94.
- Longest-running competitions
Arthur and John were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 77 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #83 and #161.
List by list
Norway · Boys77 shared years, 1945–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 9 of those years, John in 68.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #74 in 2020, John #12 in 1955.
The order changed in 2017: Arthur moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #165 and #138; by 2017 that had become #125 and #133.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #83, John #161.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 62.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #47 in 2024, John #1 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #57, John #29.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 15 of those years, John in 14.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #3 in 2020, John #46 in 1996.
The order changed in 2010: Arthur moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #93 and #83; by 2010 that had become #82 and #94.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #4, John #164.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2004–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 7 of those years, John in 13.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #14 in 2023, John #21 in 2004.
The order changed in 2018: Arthur moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #42 and #32; by 2018 that had become #21 and #60.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #16, John #67.
New Zealand · Boys14 shared years, 1954–2021
Arthur held the stronger position in 6 of those years, John in 8.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #20 in 2021, John #1 in 1954.
The order changed in 2016: Arthur moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #96 and #78; by 2016 that had become #84 and #87.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Arthur #20, John #86.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys10 shared years, 1952–2019
Arthur held the stronger position in 1 of those years, John in 9.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #51 in 2019, John #1 in 1952.
The order changed in 2019: Arthur moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #88 and #83; by 2019 that had become #51 and #97.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Arthur #51, John #97.
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 | John |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | 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 | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹθər/ | /ˈjɔn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Art, Artie | 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (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 | medium |
What the data shows
- Arthur is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman origin, while John is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Arthur has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for John.
- Arthur'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.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and John a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
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