Namewise

Derek vs Jon

Derek and Joncompared 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.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 1998, Derek was ranked #272 and Jon #272 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2012, Derek was ranked #379 and Jon #616 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Derek was ranked #1108 and Jon #1758 among boys in England and Wales.

Derek and Jon over time

Derek and Jon appear together in 2 published lists, across 47 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

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

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

    Derek and Jon changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1108 and #1758.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Derek #464 in 1996, Jon #239 in 1996.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 19962024

    Derek held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Jon in 24.

    Highest recorded here: Derek #464 in 1996, Jon #239 in 1996.

    The order changed in 2024: Derek moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #1407 and #1407; by 2024 that had become #1108 and #1758.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Derek #1108, Jon #1758.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 19752012

    Derek held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Jon in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Derek #28 in 1975, Jon #236 in 1975.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2012: Derek #379, Jon #616.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Derek, Jon
FieldDerekJon
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Syllables21
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #432 (2025)Norway · Boys #124 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Derek has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jon.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Derek

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1954

    First recorded at #89 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New Zealand · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1972 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

Jon

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #34 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 recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #19 among boys in Norway, in 1982 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #124 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys