Evan vs John
Evan 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1987, Evan was ranked #93 and John #25 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Evan was ranked #80 and John #29 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Evan was ranked #125 and John #67 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Evan was ranked #181 and John #78 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Evan was ranked #350 and John #161 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Evan was ranked #178 and John #164 among boys in England and Wales.
Evan and John over time
Evan and John appear together in 3 published lists, across 114 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Evan 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 Evan 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Evan and John changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #178 and #164.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Evan and John averaged 35.8 places apart, ending at #178 and #164.
- Longest-running competitions
Evan and John were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 57 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #80 and #29.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys57 shared years, 1969–2025
Evan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 57.
Highest recorded here: Evan #23 in 2007, John #1 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Evan #80, John #29.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Evan held the stronger position in 7 of those years, John in 22.
Highest recorded here: Evan #70 in 2009, John #46 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Evan #178, John #164.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Evan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 28.
Highest recorded here: Evan #79 in 2010, John #17 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Evan #125, 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 | Evan | 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 | /ˈjɔn/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #80 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 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); Evan does not have one recorded yet.
- Evan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for John.
- A meaning is recorded for John; Evan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Evan
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #291 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–2025
Highest recorded position: #23 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1969–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #350 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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