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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and John #164 among boys in England and Wales.
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.
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 330 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 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, David and John averaged 43.0 places apart, ending at #64 and #164.
- Longest-running competitions
David and John were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 63 years, from 1952 to 2015, ending at #100 and #80.
- 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 · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 29 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, 2024: David #64, John #164.
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.
Side by side
| Field | David | John |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | 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. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | /ˈjɔn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| 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 #29 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
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
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
John
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1952–2019
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–2019).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #161 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys