David vs Jordan
David and Jordancompared 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 Jordan #179 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, David was ranked #84 and Jordan #56 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, David was ranked #97 and Jordan #58 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Jordan #213 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Jordan #169 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #104 and Jordan #404 among boys in Northern Ireland.
David and Jordan over time
David and Jordan appear together in 5 published lists, across 174 years of shared records. David held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Jordan in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 4 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 4 of those lists, and Jordan 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 took the other's place near the top
In England and Wales · Boys, David moved into the top 50 at #49 in 2003 as Jordan fell out of it to #54, having been #43 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2003, David moved ahead of Jordan in England and Wales · Boys — #47 and #43 the year before became #49 and #54.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
David and Jordan changed places 7 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1982 and 2020, ending at #84 and #56.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 31 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, David and Jordan averaged 31.0 places apart, ending at #97 and #58.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Jordan were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 31 years, from 1985 to 2018, ending at #97 and #58.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — David #32 in 1996, Jordan #10 in 1997.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #9 and #6 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 3 places apart; by 2024 they were #104 and #404.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1978–2025
David held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Jordan in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Jordan #20 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Jordan #179.
New Zealand · Boys39 shared years, 1982–2020
David held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Jordan in 26.
Highest recorded here: David #5 in 1982, Jordan #7 in 1994.
The order changed in 2016: Jordan moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #83 and #95; by 2016 that had become #77 and #68.
Most recent shared year, 2020: David #84, Jordan #56.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys31 shared years, 1985–2018
David held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Jordan in 24.
Highest recorded here: David #5 in 1985, Jordan #14 in 1994.
The order changed in 1993: Jordan moved ahead. In 1992 they stood at #16 and #27; by 1993 that had become #21 and #20.
Most recent shared year, 2018: David #97, Jordan #58.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Jordan in 7.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Jordan #10 in 1997.
The order changed in 2003: David moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #47 and #43; by 2003 that had become #49 and #54.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Jordan #213.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
David held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Jordan in 5.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, Jordan #6 in 1997.
The order changed in 2002: David moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #18 and #17; by 2002 that had become #21 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, Jordan #404.
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 | Jordan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 the Jordan River, from Hebrew Yarden ('descend, flow down'). Crusaders brought water from the river to baptize children in Europe after John the Baptist baptized Jesus there. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | /ˈd͡ʒɔɹ.dən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #90 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- David is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Jordan is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) origin.
- David and Jordan both have 2 syllables.
- David's recorded meaning differs from Jordan's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, 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
Jordan
Popularity journey
First recorded1978
First recorded at #283 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1978 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #90 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys