Conor vs James
Conor 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, Conor was ranked #51 and James #1 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1996, Conor was ranked #98 and James #3 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Conor was ranked #16 and James #4 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #181 and James #14 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #422 and James #40 among boys in England and Wales.
Conor and James over time
Conor and James appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Conor in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
James reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Conor in 1. 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Conor and James averaged 13.4 places apart, ending at #51 and #1.
- Longest-running competitions
Conor and James were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #16 and #4.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Conor #57 in 1998, James #2 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Conor held the stronger position in 15 of those years, James in 47.
Highest recorded here: Conor #1 in 1995, James #1 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Conor #16, James #4.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Conor held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 29.
Highest recorded here: Conor #57 in 1998, James #2 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conor #422, James #40.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Conor held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 28.
Highest recorded here: Conor #4 in 1997, James #1 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conor #51, 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 | Conor | James |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The Anglicized form of Conchobar (Modern Irish Conchúr), from the elements 'cú' ('dog, hound') and 'cobar'. | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). |
| Origin | Irish | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑn.əɹ/ | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #16 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Conor is recorded with a Irish origin, while James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin.
- Conor and James both have 2 syllables.
- Conor's recorded meaning differs from James's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Conor 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
Conor
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #56 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1995 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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