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 2024, David was ranked #64 and James #40 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 331 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 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, David and James averaged 40.5 places apart, ending at #64 and #40.
- Longest-running competitions
David and James were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 65 years, from 1952 to 2018, ending at #97 and #11.
- 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 · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 29.
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, 2024: David #64, James #40.
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.
Side by side
| Field | David | James |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | /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 #45 (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
- 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
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
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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