Ian vs Quentin
Ian and Quentincompared 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 1977, Ian was ranked #81 and Quentin #85 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Ian was ranked #229 and Quentin #764 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ian was ranked #535 and Quentin #1235 among boys in England and Wales.
Ian and Quentin over time
Ian and Quentin appear together in 2 published lists, across 41 years of shared records. Ian held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Quentin in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Quentin 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Ian #138 in 1996, Quentin #761 in 1998.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ian held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Quentin in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ian #138 in 1996, Quentin #761 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ian #535, Quentin #1235.
Republic of Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 1966–2019
Ian held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Quentin in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ian #32 in 1977, Quentin #208 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Ian #229, Quentin #764.
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 | Quentin |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #262 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1235 (2024) |
| 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); Quentin does not have one recorded yet.
- Ian has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Quentin.
- A meaning is recorded for Ian; Quentin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Quentin
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #229 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1235 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys