Conan vs Jess
Conan and Jesscompared 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 2012, Conan was ranked #1962 and Jess #3416 among boys in England and Wales.
Conan and Jess over time
Conan and Jess appear together in 1 published list, across 16 years of shared records. Conan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Jess in 0.
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.
Conan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Jess 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
Conan and Jess changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2012, ending at #1962 and #3416.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Conan #924 in 1998, Jess #869 in 1999.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys16 shared years, 1996–2012
Conan held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Jess in 5.
Highest recorded here: Conan #924 in 1998, Jess #869 in 1999.
The order changed in 2008: Conan moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #3095 and #2211; by 2008 that had become #1511 and #3687.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Conan #1962, Jess #3416.
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 | Conan | Jess |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| Meaning | Combines the Irish 'cú' (wolf, hound) with a diminutive suffix, giving 'little wolf' or 'little hound'. Borne by several early Irish saints and a companion of Fionn mac Cumhaill in legend. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Conan has a recorded origin (Irish); Jess does not have one recorded yet.
- Conan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jess.
- A meaning is recorded for Conan; Jess doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Conan
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #245 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — 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: #24 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Jess
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #517 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1990–2025
Highest recorded position: #355 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 1990–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls