Ian vs William
Ian and Williamcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Ian was ranked #263 and William #3 among boys in Norway.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1985, Ian was ranked #79 and William #21 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ian was ranked #535 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1989, Ian was ranked #78 and William #29 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Ian was ranked #348 and William #58 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ian was ranked #619 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ian was ranked #262 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Ian and William over time
Ian and William appear together in 6 published lists, across 251 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Ian 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.
William reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Ian 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 1979, William moved ahead of Ian in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #45 and #47 the year before became #49 and #46.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ian and William changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1954 and 1985, ending at #79 and #21.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 38 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Ian and William averaged 12.7 places apart, ending at #78 and #29.
- Longest-running competitions
Ian and William were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 38 years, from 1952 to 1989, ending at #78 and #29.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Ian #9 in 1954, William #12 in 1952.
List by list
Norway · Boys72 shared years, 1947–2025
Ian held the stronger position in 3 of those years, William in 69.
Highest recorded here: Ian #263 in 2025, William #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ian #263, William #3.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Ian held the stronger position in 2 of those years, William in 60.
Highest recorded here: Ian #24 in 1990, William #8 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ian #262, William #73.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys38 shared years, 1952–1989
Ian held the stronger position in 27 of those years, William in 11.
Highest recorded here: Ian #9 in 1954, William #12 in 1952.
The order changed in 1979: William moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #45 and #47; by 1979 that had become #49 and #46.
Most recent shared year, 1989: Ian #78, William #29.
New Zealand · Boys32 shared years, 1954–1985
Ian held the stronger position in 12 of those years, William in 20.
Highest recorded here: Ian #10 in 1955, William #11 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1985: Ian #79, William #21.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ian held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ian #138 in 1996, William #7 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ian #535, William #27.
Northern Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 1997–2023
Ian held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 18.
Highest recorded here: Ian #118 in 1999, William #26 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ian #348, William #58.
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 | William |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Scottish Gaelic transmission | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈiː.ən/ | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #262 (2025) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Hebrew, via Scottish Gaelic transmission origin, while William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
- Ian has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for William.
- Ian's recorded meaning differs from William'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
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys