Fabian vs Jan
Fabian and Jancompared 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, Fabian was ranked #223 and Jan #149 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Fabian was ranked #418 and Jan #312 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Fabian was ranked #509 and Jan #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Fabian was ranked #538 and Jan #514 among boys in England and Wales.
Fabian and Jan over time
Fabian and Jan appear together in 4 published lists, across 122 years of shared records. Jan held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Fabian in 0.
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.
Jan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Fabian 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
Fabian and Jan changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #538 and #514.
- Longest-running competitions
Fabian and Jan were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 51 years, from 1971 to 2025, ending at #223 and #149.
List by list
Norway · Boys51 shared years, 1971–2025
Fabian held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Jan in 50.
Highest recorded here: Fabian #110 in 2005, Jan #1 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Fabian #223, Jan #149.
Republic of Ireland · Boys32 shared years, 1967–2025
Fabian held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Jan in 25.
Highest recorded here: Fabian #214 in 2017, Jan #114 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Fabian #509, Jan #372.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Fabian held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Jan in 15.
Highest recorded here: Fabian #266 in 2013, Jan #226 in 2017.
The order changed in 2023: Jan moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #404 and #439; by 2023 that had become #550 and #411.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Fabian #538, Jan #514.
Northern Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 2005–2019
Fabian held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Jan in 7.
Highest recorded here: Fabian #188 in 2013, Jan #222 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Fabian #418, Jan #312.
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 | Fabian | Jan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A form of Johannes used across many European languages, from Hebrew Yochanan via Greek Ioannes — 'Yahweh is gracious'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, via Dutch/Scandinavian/Central European transmission |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈjɑːn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #223 (2025) | Norway · Boys #149 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jan has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Dutch/Scandinavian/Central European transmission); Fabian does not have one recorded yet.
- Fabian has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jan.
- A meaning is recorded for Jan; Fabian doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Fabian
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #265 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1971–2025
Highest recorded position: #110 among boys in Norway, in 2005 (recorded 1971–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #223 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Jan
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #2 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 1946 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #149 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys