Conor vs John
Conor and Johncompared 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, Conor was ranked #16 and John #29 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1996, Conor was ranked #98 and John #35 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #51 and John #67 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #181 and John #78 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #422 and John #164 among boys in England and Wales.
Conor and John over time
Conor and John appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Conor held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, John 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.
John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Conor 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 1994, Conor moved ahead of John in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #9 and #2 the year before became #3 and #4.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Conor and John averaged 24.8 places apart, ending at #51 and #67.
- Longest-running competitions
Conor and John were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #16 and #29.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Conor #57 in 1998, John #46 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Conor held the stronger position in 32 of those years, John in 30.
Highest recorded here: Conor #1 in 1995, John #1 in 1964.
The order changed in 1994: Conor moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #9 and #2; by 1994 that had become #3 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Conor #16, John #29.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Conor held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 29.
Highest recorded here: Conor #57 in 1998, John #46 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conor #422, John #164.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Conor held the stronger position in 28 of those years, John in 0.
Highest recorded here: Conor #4 in 1997, John #17 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conor #51, John #67.
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 | John |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | From Hebrew Yochanan, 'Yahweh is gracious', via Greek Ioannes and Latin Iohannes. One of the most widespread names in Christian Europe, associated with both John the Baptist and the apostle John. |
| Origin | Irish | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑn.əɹ/ | /ˈjɔn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| 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 #29 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Conor is recorded with a Irish origin, while John is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Conor has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for John.
- Conor's recorded meaning differs from John's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
John
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #20 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2019
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–2019).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #161 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys