Harry vs Jan
Harry 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Harry was ranked #8 and Jan #352 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #20 and Jan #514 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Harry was ranked #25 and Jan #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #31 and Jan #535 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Harry was ranked #431 and Jan #103 among boys in Norway.
Harry and Jan over time
Harry and Jan appear together in 4 published lists, across 128 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Jan in 1.
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 2 of those lists, Harry 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
Harry and Jan changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1967 and 2025, ending at #25 and #372.
- Longest-running competitions
Harry and Jan were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 46 years, from 1945 to 2019, ending at #431 and #103.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Harry #4 in 2012, Jan #222 in 2010.
List by list
Norway · Boys46 shared years, 1945–2019
Harry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jan in 46.
Highest recorded here: Harry #69 in 1946, Jan #1 in 1946.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Harry #431, Jan #103.
Republic of Ireland · Boys38 shared years, 1967–2025
Harry held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Jan in 4.
Highest recorded here: Harry #6 in 2018, Jan #114 in 2012.
The order changed in 1988: Harry moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #322 and #292; by 1988 that had become #215 and #319.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harry #25, Jan #372.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Harry held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Jan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harry #1 in 2011, Jan #226 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harry #20, Jan #514.
Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 2005–2022
Harry held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Jan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harry #4 in 2012, Jan #222 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Harry #8, Jan #352.
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 | Harry | Jan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A diminutive/pet form, inheriting its meaning from Henry — 'home ruler' — and functioning, in modern times, as a nickname for both Henry and names beginning with 'Har-'. During the Middle Ages in England, Henry was generally rendered as Harry or Herry in English pronunciation. | A form of Johannes used across many European languages, from Hebrew Yochanan via Greek Ioannes — 'Yahweh is gracious'. |
| Origin | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry | Hebrew, via Dutch/Scandinavian/Central European transmission |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhæri/ | /ˈjɑːn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) | Norway · Boys #149 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Harry is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin, while Jan is recorded with a Hebrew, via Dutch/Scandinavian/Central European transmission origin.
- Harry has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jan.
- Harry's recorded meaning differs from Jan's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Harry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #70 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #39 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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