Daniel vs James
Daniel 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, Daniel was ranked #37 and James #1 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #13 and James #4 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #52 and James #14 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #64 and James #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Daniel was ranked #53 and James #15 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #59 and James #40 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #66 and James #355 among boys in Norway.
Daniel and James over time
Daniel and James appear together in 6 published lists, across 342 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Daniel 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.
Daniel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, James in 2. 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 2009, James moved ahead of Daniel in England and Wales · Boys — #8 and #9 the year before became #10 and #9.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Daniel and James changed places 12 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1954 and 2023, ending at #53 and #15.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Daniel and James averaged 8.8 places apart, ending at #59 and #40.
- Longest-running competitions
Daniel and James were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 74 years, from 1952 to 2025, ending at #64 and #15.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Daniel #2 in 1996, James #2 in 1997.
List by list
Norway · Boys80 shared years, 1945–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 78 of those years, James in 2.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 1989, James #218 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #66, James #355.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys74 shared years, 1952–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 26 of those years, James in 48.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1979, James #3 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #64, James #15.
New Zealand · Boys69 shared years, 1954–2023
Daniel held the stronger position in 25 of those years, James in 44.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #1 in 1980, James #2 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Daniel #53, James #15.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 5 of those years, James in 57.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 2009, James #1 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #13, James #4.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 3 of those years, James in 26.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1996, James #2 in 1997.
The order changed in 2009: James moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #8 and #9; by 2009 that had become #10 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #59, James #40.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 3 of those years, James in 25.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 2010, James #1 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #37, 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 | Daniel | James |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'God is my judge', referencing the biblical prophet Daniel. | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdænjəl/ | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus |
| 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #13 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Daniel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin.
- Daniel and James both have 2 syllables.
- Daniel's recorded meaning differs from James'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 Daniel 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
Daniel
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #280 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New Zealand, in 1980 (recorded 1954–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #64 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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