Ethan vs James
Ethan and Jamescompared 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 2024, Ethan was ranked #57 and James #1 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #51 and James #4 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #54 and James #14 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #49 and James #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Ethan was ranked #24 and James #15 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #48 and James #40 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #315 and James #355 among boys in Norway.
Ethan and James over time
Ethan and James appear together in 5 published lists, across 163 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Ethan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
James reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Ethan in 1. 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ethan and James changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1991 and 2025, ending at #49 and #15.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Ethan and James averaged 16.0 places apart, ending at #48 and #40.
- Longest-running competitions
Ethan and James were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 35 years, from 1991 to 2025, ending at #49 and #15.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1989–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 37.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #30 in 2012, James #1 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #51, James #4.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys35 shared years, 1991–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 5 of those years, James in 30.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, James #3 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #49, James #15.
New Zealand · Boys34 shared years, 1990–2023
Ethan held the stronger position in 4 of those years, James in 30.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #5 in 2002, James #2 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ethan #24, James #15.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #11 in 2011, James #2 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #48, James #40.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 28.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, James #1 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #57, James #1.
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 | Ethan | James |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with qualities like 'solid, enduring, firm'. | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus |
| Pronunciation | /ˈiːθən/ | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #49 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Ethan is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin.
- Ethan and James both have 2 syllables.
- Ethan's recorded meaning differs from James's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Ethan a "medium" Data Confidence level and James a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Ethan
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #208 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1991–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011 (recorded 1991–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
James
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys