Darran vs Jan
Darran and Jancompared 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 2017, Darran was ranked #4812 and Jan #226 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1996, Darran was ranked #251 and Jan #295 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Darran and Jan over time
Darran and Jan appear together in 2 published lists, across 20 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 1969–1996
Darran held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Jan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Darran #140 in 1979, Jan #236 in 1975.
The order changed in 1971: Darran moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #291 and #291; by 1971 that had become #204 and #280.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Darran #251, Jan #295.
England and Wales · Boys8 shared years, 1996–2017
Darran held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jan in 8.
Highest recorded here: Darran #1345 in 1997, Jan #226 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Darran #4812, Jan #226.
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 | Darran | Jan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A form of Johannes used across many European languages, from Hebrew Yochanan via Greek Ioannes — 'Yahweh is gracious'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, via Dutch/Scandinavian/Central European transmission |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈjɑːn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #4812 (2017) | Norway · Boys #149 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jan has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Dutch/Scandinavian/Central European transmission); Darran does not have one recorded yet.
- Darran has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jan.
- A meaning is recorded for Jan; Darran doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Darran
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #291 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–1998
Highest recorded position: #132 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1983 (recorded 1969–1998).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #4812 among boys in England and Wales, in 2017.
England and Wales · Boys
Jan
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #2 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #149 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys