Denis vs John
Denis 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1954, Denis was ranked #82 and John #1 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1955, Denis was ranked #97 and John #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Denis was ranked #232 and John #29 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #305 and John #67 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #423 and John #136 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #434 and John #164 among boys in England and Wales.
Denis and John over time
Denis and John appear together in 4 published lists, across 161 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Denis in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Denis 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Denis and John were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 53 years, from 1970 to 2024, ending at #423 and #136.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Denis #21 in 1964, John #1 in 1964.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Denis held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 62.
Highest recorded here: Denis #21 in 1964, John #1 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Denis #232, John #29.
Norway · Boys53 shared years, 1970–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 53.
Highest recorded here: Denis #249 in 1984, John #25 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #423, John #136.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 29.
Highest recorded here: Denis #262 in 2020, John #46 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #434, John #164.
Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 1998–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 17.
Highest recorded here: Denis #231 in 2011, John #21 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #305, 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 | Denis | John |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈjɔn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 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
- John has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Denis does not have one recorded yet.
- Denis has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for John.
- A meaning is recorded for John; Denis doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Denis
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #65 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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