Ian vs John
Ian and Johncompared 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, Ian was ranked #79 and John #18 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1989, Ian was ranked #78 and John #25 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ian was ranked #262 and John #29 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Ian was ranked #348 and John #70 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ian was ranked #619 and John #78 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Ian was ranked #263 and John #161 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ian was ranked #535 and John #164 among boys in England and Wales.
Ian and John over time
Ian and John appear together in 6 published lists, across 251 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Ian in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Ian 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 38 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Ian and John averaged 23.8 places apart, ending at #78 and #25.
- Longest-running competitions
Ian and John were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 38 years, from 1952 to 1989, ending at #78 and #25.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Ian #138 in 1996, John #46 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys72 shared years, 1947–2025
Ian held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 72.
Highest recorded here: Ian #263 in 2025, John #15 in 1963.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ian #263, John #161.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Ian held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 62.
Highest recorded here: Ian #24 in 1990, John #1 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ian #262, John #29.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys38 shared years, 1952–1989
Ian held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 38.
Highest recorded here: Ian #9 in 1954, John #1 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1989: Ian #78, John #25.
New Zealand · Boys32 shared years, 1954–1985
Ian held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 32.
Highest recorded here: Ian #10 in 1955, John #1 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1985: Ian #79, John #18.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ian held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ian #138 in 1996, John #46 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ian #535, John #164.
Northern Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 1997–2023
Ian held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 18.
Highest recorded here: Ian #118 in 1999, John #17 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ian #348, John #70.
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 | Ian | John |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | An Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Iain, itself from Latin Iohannes — ultimately from the same Hebrew root as John. | From Hebrew Yochanan, 'Yahweh is gracious', via Greek Ioannes and Latin Iohannes. One of the most widespread names in Christian Europe, associated with both John the Baptist and the apostle John. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Scottish Gaelic transmission | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈiː.ən/ | /ˈjɔn/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 #262 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ian is recorded with a Hebrew, via Scottish Gaelic transmission origin, while John is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Ian and John both have 1 syllable.
- Ian's recorded meaning differs from John'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
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
John
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #20 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2019
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–2019).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #161 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys