Charlie vs Jack
Charlie 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, Charlie was ranked #13 and Jack #2 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Charlie was ranked #9 and Jack #4 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #8 and Jack #4 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #19 and Jack #7 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #12 and Jack #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #17 and Jack #22 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #211 and Jack #432 among boys in Norway.
Charlie and Jack over time
Charlie and Jack appear together in 6 published lists, across 162 years of shared records. Jack held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Charlie 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 Charlie 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2023, Charlie moved ahead of Jack in England and Wales · Boys — #16 and #14 the year before became #17 and #18.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Charlie and Jack averaged 11.9 places apart, ending at #17 and #22.
- Mirrored each other
Over 21 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Charlie rose about as far as Jack fell — from #90 and #2 in 2003 to #9 and #4 in 2023.
- Longest-running competitions
Charlie and Jack were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 33 years, from 1983 to 2025, ending at #13 and #2.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1983–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jack in 33.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #5 in 2022, Jack #1 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #13, Jack #2.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Jack in 27.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2012, Jack #1 in 1996.
The order changed in 2023: Charlie moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #16 and #14; by 2023 that had become #17 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #17, Jack #22.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jack in 28.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #3 in 2013, Jack #1 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #8, Jack #4.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Jack in 24.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #8 in 2024, Jack #1 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #12, Jack #10.
Norway · Boys25 shared years, 1990–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Jack in 9.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #189 in 2017, Jack #277 in 2013.
The order changed in 2012: Charlie moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #402 and #289; by 2012 that had become #304 and #310.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #211, Jack #432.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Charlie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jack in 21.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #6 in 2021, Jack #1 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Charlie #9, Jack #4.
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 | Charlie | Jack |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A diminutive of Charles, ultimately interpreted as 'man' or, by an alternative theory, 'army'. | God is gracious (via John), though now used as an independent name. |
| Origin | English, via Germanic Karl | English, historically a diminutive of John |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtʃɑːli/ | /ˈdʒæk/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Jankin |
| 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 #12 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #2 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Charlie is recorded with a English, via Germanic Karl origin, while Jack is recorded with a English, historically a diminutive of John origin.
- Charlie has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jack.
- Charlie'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.
- The available evidence gives Charlie a "medium" Data Confidence level and Jack a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Charlie
Popularity journey
First recorded1983
First recorded at #282 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1983 — 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: #3 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2013 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #12 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Jack
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys