Gary vs Jon
Gary and Joncompared 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 2005, Gary was ranked #124 and Jon #265 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Gary was ranked #402 and Jon #764 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Gary was ranked #3256 and Jon #1798 among boys in England and Wales.
Gary and Jon over time
Gary and Jon appear together in 2 published lists, across 49 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.
Jon reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Gary 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
Gary and Jon changed places 11 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2025, ending at #3256 and #1798.
- Longest-running competitions
Gary and Jon were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #3256 and #1798.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Gary #147 in 1996, Jon #239 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Gary held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Jon in 15.
Highest recorded here: Gary #147 in 1996, Jon #239 in 1996.
The order changed in 2023: Jon moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #2018 and #2320; by 2023 that had become #2546 and #1407.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gary #3256, Jon #1798.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 1975–2019
Gary held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Jon in 0.
Highest recorded here: Gary #25 in 1991, Jon #236 in 1975.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Gary #402, Jon #764.
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 | Gary | Jon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | An English surname originally a short form of Norman given names beginning with the Old German element 'ger' ('spear'). Adopted as a stage name by actor Gary Cooper, after Gary, Indiana. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Germanic (surname origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡæɹ.i/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3256 (2025) | Norway · Boys #124 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gary has a recorded origin (Germanic (surname origin)); Jon does not have one recorded yet.
- Gary has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jon.
- A meaning is recorded for Gary; Jon doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Gary
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1984
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1984).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3256 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Jon
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #34 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: #19 among boys in Norway, in 1982 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1798 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys