George vs James
George 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, George was ranked #40 and James #1 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, George was ranked #112 and James #4 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, George was ranked #6 and James #40 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, George was ranked #7 and James #15 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, George was ranked #48 and James #14 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, George was ranked #24 and James #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, George was ranked #364 and James #312 among boys in Norway.
George and James over time
George and James appear together in 6 published lists, across 322 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, George in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
James reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, George in 2. 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2014, George moved ahead of James in England and Wales · Boys — #10 and #9 the year before became #7 and #9.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
George and James changed places 10 times in Norway · Boys between 1946 and 2023, ending at #364 and #312.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, George and James averaged 13.0 places apart, ending at #6 and #40.
- Longest-running competitions
George and James were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 74 years, from 1952 to 2025, ending at #24 and #15.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Boys74 shared years, 1952–2025
George held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 74.
Highest recorded here: George #24 in 2023, James #3 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: George #24, James #15.
New Zealand · Boys70 shared years, 1954–2023
George held the stronger position in 6 of those years, James in 64.
Highest recorded here: George #5 in 2021, James #2 in 1993.
The order changed in 2018: George moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #7 and #6; by 2018 that had become #6 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2023: George #7, James #15.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
George held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 62.
Highest recorded here: George #52 in 1964, James #1 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: George #112, James #4.
Norway · Boys59 shared years, 1946–2023
George held the stronger position in 5 of those years, James in 54.
Highest recorded here: George #253 in 1968, James #218 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: George #364, James #312.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
George held the stronger position in 12 of those years, James in 17.
Highest recorded here: George #2 in 2018, James #2 in 1997.
The order changed in 2014: George moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #10 and #9; by 2014 that had become #7 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2024: George #6, James #40.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
George held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 28.
Highest recorded here: George #25 in 2023, James #1 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: George #40, 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 | George | James |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Farmer, earth-worker. | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). |
| Origin | Greek | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒɔːdʒ/ | /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 #24 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- George is recorded with a Greek origin, while James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin.
- George and James both have 2 syllables.
- George'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 George 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
George
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in England and Wales, in 2018 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #24 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