Namewise

David vs James

David 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, David was ranked #104 and James #1 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, David was ranked #45 and James #4 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2018, David was ranked #97 and James #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2020, David was ranked #84 and James #13 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, David was ranked #71 and James #14 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, David was ranked #73 and James #42 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, David was ranked #88 and James #355 among boys in Norway.

David and James over time

David and James appear together in 6 published lists, across 332 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, David in 2.

The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, James 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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 1986, James moved ahead of David in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #5 and #7 the year before became #7 and #6.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, David and James averaged 40.2 places apart, ending at #73 and #42.

  • Longest-running competitions

    David and James were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #73 and #42.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — David #32 in 1996, James #2 in 1997.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys80 shared years, 1945–2025

    David held the stronger position in 80 of those years, James in 0.

    Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, James #218 in 1978.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, James #355.

  • New Zealand · Boys67 shared years, 1954–2020

    David held the stronger position in 28 of those years, James in 39.

    Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1960, James #2 in 1993.

    The order changed in 1982: James moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #3 and #5; by 1982 that had become #5 and #3.

    Most recent shared year, 2020: David #84, James #13.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys65 shared years, 1952–2018

    David held the stronger position in 34 of those years, James in 31.

    Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1961, James #3 in 1996.

    The order changed in 1986: James moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #5 and #7; by 1986 that had become #7 and #6.

    Most recent shared year, 2018: David #97, James #11.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025

    David held the stronger position in 24 of those years, James in 38.

    Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, James #1 in 1994.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, James #4.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    David held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 30.

    Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, James #2 in 1997.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: David #73, James #42.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    David held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 28.

    Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, James #1 in 2015.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving David

Pairs where David shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving James

Pairs where James shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of David, James
FieldDavidJames
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningCommonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root.Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob).
OriginBiblical HebrewHebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus
Pronunciation/ˈdeɪvɪd//ˈdʒeɪmz/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedJim, Jamie, Iacomus
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediumhigh

What the data shows

  • David is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin.
  • David and James both have 2 syllables.
  • David'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 David 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

David

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1952–2018

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #73 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

James

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #42 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys