Gregory vs Ian
Gregory and Iancompared 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 Zealand · Boys
In 1985, Gregory was ranked #70 and Ian #79 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1989, Gregory was ranked #81 and Ian #78 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2009, Gregory was ranked #390 and Ian #262 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Gregory was ranked #829 and Ian #262 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Gregory was ranked #1460 and Ian #535 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Gregory was ranked #727 and Ian #619 among boys in Scotland.
Gregory and Ian over time
Gregory and Ian appear together in 4 published lists, across 159 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Ian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Gregory 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1962, Gregory moved ahead of Ian in New Zealand · Boys — #17 and #14 the year before became #17 and #18.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Gregory and Ian changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1460 and #535.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 38 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Gregory and Ian averaged 8.8 places apart, ending at #81 and #78.
- Longest-running competitions
Gregory and Ian were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 38 years, from 1952 to 1989, ending at #81 and #78.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Gregory #117 in 1997, Ian #138 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2025
Gregory held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ian in 60.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #72 in 1967, Ian #24 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gregory #829, Ian #262.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys38 shared years, 1952–1989
Gregory held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Ian in 1.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #7 in 1954, Ian #9 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1989: Gregory #81, Ian #78.
New Zealand · Boys32 shared years, 1954–1985
Gregory held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Ian in 8.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #16 in 1960, Ian #10 in 1955.
The order changed in 1962: Gregory moved ahead. In 1961 they stood at #17 and #14; by 1962 that had become #17 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 1985: Gregory #70, Ian #79.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Gregory held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Ian in 17.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #117 in 1997, Ian #138 in 1996.
The order changed in 2014: Ian moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #581 and #596; by 2014 that had become #695 and #489.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gregory #1460, Ian #535.
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 | Gregory | Ian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Latin Gregorius, from Late Greek Gregorios, from 'gregoros' ('watchful, alert'), itself from 'egeiro' ('to awaken'). Borne by Saint Gregory the Illuminator and Pope Gregory I the Great. | An Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Iain, itself from Latin Iohannes — ultimately from the same Hebrew root as John. |
| Origin | From Late Greek 'gregoros' ('watchful, alert'), via the Latin Gregorius | Hebrew, via Scottish Gaelic transmission |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡɹɛɡ.ə.ɹi/ | /ˈiː.ən/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #262 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gregory is recorded with a From Late Greek 'gregoros' ('watchful, alert'), via the Latin Gregorius origin, while Ian is recorded with a Hebrew, via Scottish Gaelic transmission origin.
- Gregory has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Ian.
- Gregory's recorded meaning differs from Ian's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Gregory
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #9 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 recorded1952–1990
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1954 (recorded 1952–1990).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Ian
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #351 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1989
Highest recorded position: #9 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1954 (recorded 1952–1989).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #263 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys