Fergus vs Jan
Fergus 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Fergus was ranked #104 and Jan #535 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Fergus was ranked #326 and Jan #433 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Fergus was ranked #829 and Jan #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Fergus was ranked #434 and Jan #514 among boys in England and Wales.
Fergus and Jan over time
Fergus and Jan appear together in 2 published lists, across 62 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.
Fergus reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Jan 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Fergus and Jan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 33 years, from 1967 to 2025, ending at #829 and #372.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1967–2025
Fergus held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Jan in 14.
Highest recorded here: Fergus #75 in 1967, Jan #114 in 2012.
The order changed in 2006: Jan moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #302 and #370; by 2006 that had become #493 and #247.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Fergus #829, Jan #372.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Fergus held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Jan in 16.
Highest recorded here: Fergus #243 in 1996, Jan #226 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Fergus #434, Jan #514.
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 | Fergus | 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, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (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); Fergus does not have one recorded yet.
- Fergus has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jan.
- A meaning is recorded for Jan; Fergus doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Fergus
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #66 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #66 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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