Benjamin vs James
Benjamin 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, Benjamin was ranked #76 and James #1 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #83 and James #4 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #78 and James #14 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #46 and James #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Benjamin was ranked #39 and James #15 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #61 and James #40 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #48 and James #355 among boys in Norway.
Benjamin and James over time
Benjamin and James appear together in 6 published lists, across 292 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Benjamin 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 4 of those lists, Benjamin in 2. 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Benjamin and James changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1965 and 2025, ending at #46 and #15.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Benjamin and James averaged 12.7 places apart, ending at #61 and #40.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, James rose about as far as Benjamin fell — from #37 and #3 in 1997 to #76 and #1 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Benjamin and James were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 59 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #46 and #15.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 62.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #50 in 2020, James #1 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #83, James #4.
Norway · Boys60 shared years, 1957–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 50 of those years, James in 10.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #13 in 2016, James #218 in 1978.
The order changed in 1979: Benjamin moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #231 and #218; by 1979 that had become #220 and #251.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #48, James #355.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys59 shared years, 1965–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 13 of those years, James in 46.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #5 in 1977, James #3 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #46, James #15.
New Zealand · Boys54 shared years, 1970–2023
Benjamin held the stronger position in 5 of those years, James in 49.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #3 in 2003, James #2 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Benjamin #39, James #15.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 29.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #6 in 2002, James #2 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #61, James #40.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 28.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #22 in 2002, James #1 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #76, James #1.
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 | Benjamin | James |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'son of the right hand', with the underlying literal sense being 'son of the south' (since 'right' indicated the southerly direction in the biblical east-facing orientation convention). | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛndʒəmɪn/ | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus |
| 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 #46 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Benjamin is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin.
- Benjamin has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for James.
- Benjamin'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.
- The available evidence gives Benjamin a "medium" Data Confidence level and James a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Benjamin
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1970–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #46 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
James
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys