Declan vs Jordan
Declan 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2010, Declan was ranked #81 and Jordan #51 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2013, Declan was ranked #84 and Jordan #72 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Declan was ranked #404 and Jordan #169 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Declan was ranked #348 and Jordan #179 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Declan was ranked #371 and Jordan #213 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Declan was ranked #256 and Jordan #404 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Declan and Jordan over time
Declan and Jordan appear together in 3 published lists, across 104 years of shared records. Jordan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Declan in 0.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Declan and Jordan changed places 9 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #256 and #404.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Declan and Jordan averaged 48.3 places apart, ending at #256 and #404.
- Longest-running competitions
Declan and Jordan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 47 years, from 1978 to 2025, ending at #348 and #179.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Declan #54 in 1997, Jordan #6 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1978–2025
Declan held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Jordan in 25.
Highest recorded here: Declan #26 in 1978, Jordan #20 in 1999.
The order changed in 2012: Jordan moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #204 and #256; by 2012 that had become #267 and #233.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Declan #348, Jordan #179.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Declan held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Jordan in 20.
Highest recorded here: Declan #66 in 2000, Jordan #10 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Declan #371, Jordan #213.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Declan held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Jordan in 17.
Highest recorded here: Declan #54 in 1997, Jordan #6 in 1997.
The order changed in 2024: Declan moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #272 and #249; by 2024 that had become #256 and #404.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Declan #256, 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 | Declan | Jordan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew (place name origin) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #90 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jordan has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (place name origin)); Declan does not have one recorded yet.
- Declan and Jordan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jordan; Declan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Declan
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #23 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #12 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1971 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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