Namewise

David vs Jan

David 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.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, David was ranked #45 and Jan #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Jan #535 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, David was ranked #73 and Jan #639 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2022, David was ranked #88 and Jan #352 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, David was ranked #88 and Jan #149 among boys in Norway.

David and Jan over time

David and Jan appear together in 4 published lists, across 165 years of shared records. David held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Jan 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.

David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Jan 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.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025

    David held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Jan in 55.

    Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, Jan #1 in 1946.

    The order changed in 2000: David moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #67 and #56; by 2000 that had become #64 and #65.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, Jan #149.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys39 shared years, 1967–2025

    David held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Jan in 0.

    Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1988, Jan #114 in 2012.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Jan #372.

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

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

    Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Jan #226 in 2017.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: David #73, Jan #639.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 2005–2022

    David held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Jan in 0.

    Highest recorded here: David #34 in 2005, Jan #222 in 2010.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2022: David #88, Jan #352.

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 Jan

Pairs where Jan 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 — longest-running competitions.

All longest-running competitions→

Other pairs from Norway lists

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

Norway 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, Jan
FieldDavidJan
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningCommonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root.A form of Johannes used across many European languages, from Hebrew Yochanan via Greek Ioannes — 'Yahweh is gracious'.
OriginBiblical HebrewHebrew, via Dutch/Scandinavian/Central European transmission
Pronunciation/ˈdeɪvɪd//ˈjɑːn/
Syllables21
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
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)Norway · Boys #149 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • David is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Jan is recorded with a Hebrew, via Dutch/Scandinavian/Central European transmission origin.
  • David has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jan.
  • David's recorded meaning differs from Jan's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

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

Jan

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #639 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys