Calum vs Jonathan
Calum and Jonathancompared 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Calum was ranked #176 and Jonathan #352 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Calum was ranked #432 and Jonathan #223 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Calum was ranked #1675 and Jonathan #302 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Calum was ranked #339 and Jonathan #305 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Calum and Jonathan over time
Calum and Jonathan appear together in 3 published lists, across 90 years of shared records. Jonathan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Calum in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Jonathan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Calum 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Calum and Jonathan changed places 8 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #339 and #305.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Calum and Jonathan averaged 46.6 places apart, ending at #339 and #305.
- Longest-running competitions
Calum and Jonathan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 34 years, from 1992 to 2025, ending at #432 and #223.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Calum #91 in 1996, Jonathan #39 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys34 shared years, 1992–2025
Calum held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Jonathan in 26.
Highest recorded here: Calum #44 in 2006, Jonathan #38 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Calum #432, Jonathan #223.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Calum held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jonathan in 29.
Highest recorded here: Calum #91 in 1996, Jonathan #39 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Calum #1675, Jonathan #302.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024
Calum held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Jonathan in 17.
Highest recorded here: Calum #21 in 2006, Jonathan #20 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Calum #339, Jonathan #305.
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 | Calum | Jonathan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #432 (2025) | Norway · Boys #93 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Calum has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Jonathan.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Calum
Popularity journey
First recorded1992
First recorded at #298 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1992 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2006 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Jonathan
Popularity journey
First recorded1949
First recorded at #371 among boys in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1957–2013
Highest recorded position: #15 among boys in New Zealand, in 1982 (recorded 1957–2013).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #93 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys