Namewise

David vs John

David and Johncompared 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 John #29 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, David was ranked #104 and John #67 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, David was ranked #71 and John #78 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, David was ranked #73 and John #174 among boys in England and Wales.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2015, David was ranked #100 and John #80 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2020, David was ranked #84 and John #99 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, David was ranked #88 and John #161 among boys in Norway.

David and John over time

David and John appear together in 6 published lists, across 331 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and David in none. 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 2020, David moved ahead of John in New Zealand · Boys — #100 and #60 the year before became #84 and #99.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    David and John changed places 10 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1952 and 2015, ending at #100 and #80.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, David and John averaged 44.9 places apart, ending at #73 and #174.

  • Longest-running competitions

    David and John were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #73 and #174.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — David #32 in 1996, John #46 in 1996.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025

    David held the stronger position in 27 of those years, John in 54.

    Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, John #12 in 1955.

    The order changed in 2000: David moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #67 and #57; by 2000 that had become #64 and #70.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, John #161.

  • New Zealand · Boys67 shared years, 1954–2020

    David held the stronger position in 52 of those years, John in 15.

    Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1960, John #1 in 1954.

    The order changed in 2020: David moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #100 and #60; by 2020 that had become #84 and #99.

    Most recent shared year, 2020: David #84, John #99.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys63 shared years, 1952–2015

    David held the stronger position in 50 of those years, John in 13.

    Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1961, John #1 in 1952.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2015: David #100, John #80.

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

    David held the stronger position in 23 of those years, John in 39.

    Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, John #1 in 1964.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, John #29.

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

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

    Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, John #46 in 1996.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: David #73, John #174.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    David held the stronger position in 9 of those years, John in 19.

    Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, John #17 in 1997.

    The order changed in 2008: John moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #29 and #33; by 2008 that had become #48 and #35.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, John #67.

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 John

Pairs where John 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 — repeatedly exchanged positions.

All repeatedly exchanged positions→

Other pairs from Republic of Ireland lists

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

Republic of Ireland 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, John
FieldDavidJohn
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningCommonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root.From Hebrew Yochanan, 'Yahweh is gracious', via Greek Ioannes and Latin Iohannes. One of the most widespread names in Christian Europe, associated with both John the Baptist and the apostle John.
OriginBiblical HebrewBiblical Hebrew
Pronunciation/ˈdeɪvɪd//ˈjɔn/
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)Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (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

  • Both David and John share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
  • David has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for John.
  • David's recorded meaning differs from John'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

John

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #20 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 recorded1952–2019

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–2019).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #174 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys