Ian vs Maurice
Ian and Mauricecompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1952, Ian was ranked #10 and Maurice #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1959, Ian was ranked #13 and Maurice #85 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2005, Ian was ranked #247 and Maurice #307 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ian was ranked #262 and Maurice #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ian was ranked #535 and Maurice #2671 among boys in England and Wales.
Ian and Maurice over time
Ian and Maurice appear together in 2 published lists, across 90 years of shared records. Ian held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Maurice in 0.
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.
Maurice reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Ian moved into the top 50 at #44 in 1968 as Maurice fell out of it to #54, having been #46 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1968, Ian moved ahead of Maurice in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #47 and #46 the year before became #44 and #54.
- Longest-running competitions
Ian and Maurice were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 61 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #262 and #468.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Ian #138 in 1996, Maurice #818 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1964–2025
Ian held the stronger position in 58 of those years, Maurice in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ian #24 in 1990, Maurice #46 in 1967.
The order changed in 1968: Ian moved ahead. In 1967 they stood at #47 and #46; by 1968 that had become #44 and #54.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ian #262, Maurice #468.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ian held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Maurice in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ian #138 in 1996, Maurice #818 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ian #535, Maurice #2671.
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 | Maurice |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | An Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Iain, itself from Latin Iohannes — ultimately from the same Hebrew root as John. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Scottish Gaelic transmission | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈiː.ən/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #262 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #468 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ian has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Scottish Gaelic transmission); Maurice does not have one recorded yet.
- Ian has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Maurice.
- A meaning is recorded for Ian; Maurice doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, 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
Maurice
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #92 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #46 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1967 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys