Elias vs Jonas
Elias and Jonascompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Elias was ranked #4 and Jonas #49 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Elias was ranked #79 and Jonas #691 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Elias was ranked #185 and Jonas #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Elias was ranked #189 and Jonas #272 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Elias was ranked #199 and Jonas #727 among boys in Scotland.
Elias and Jonas over time
Elias and Jonas appear together in 4 published lists, across 122 years of shared records. Elias held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Jonas in 1.
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.
Jonas reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Elias 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 2015, Elias moved ahead of Jonas in Norway · Boys — #11 and #10 the year before became #6 and #9.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Elias and Jonas changed places 7 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #4 and #49.
- Longest-running competitions
Elias and Jonas were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 65 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #4 and #49.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Elias #3 in 2006, Jonas #1 in 2006.
List by list
Norway · Boys65 shared years, 1945–2025
Elias held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Jonas in 51.
Highest recorded here: Elias #3 in 2006, Jonas #1 in 2006.
The order changed in 2015: Elias moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #11 and #10; by 2015 that had become #6 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elias #4, Jonas #49.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Elias held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Jonas in 0.
Highest recorded here: Elias #79 in 2024, Jonas #422 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Elias #79, Jonas #691.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 2006–2025
Elias held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Jonas in 4.
Highest recorded here: Elias #185 in 2025, Jonas #313 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Elias #185, Jonas #468.
Northern Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 2010–2023
Elias held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Jonas in 4.
Highest recorded here: Elias #189 in 2023, Jonas #215 in 2018.
The order changed in 2020: Elias moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #319 and #215; by 2020 that had become #213 and #304.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Elias #189, Jonas #272.
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 | Elias | Jonas |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A form of Elijah, commonly interpreted as 'my God is Yahweh'. | Traditionally associated with the biblical figure Jonah; some traditions link the underlying Hebrew root to 'dove'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek | Hebrew, via Greek; used in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German tradition |
| Pronunciation | /ɪˈlaɪəs/ | /ˈjuː.nas/ |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #4 (2025) | Norway · Boys #49 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Elias is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek origin, while Jonas is recorded with a Hebrew, via Greek; used in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German tradition origin.
- Elias and Jonas both have 2 syllables.
- Elias's recorded meaning differs from Jonas's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Elias
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #328 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #35 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Jonas
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #257 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys