Ivan vs Jozef
Ivan and Jozefcompared 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 2019, Ivan was ranked #218 and Jozef #505 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ivan was ranked #274 and Jozef #1758 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ivan was ranked #327 and Jozef #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Ivan and Jozef over time
Ivan and Jozef appear together in 2 published lists, across 67 years of shared records. Ivan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Jozef in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Jozef reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Ivan 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ivan and Jozef changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1949 and 2019, ending at #218 and #505.
- Longest-running competitions
Ivan and Jozef were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 38 years, from 1949 to 2019, ending at #218 and #505.
List by list
Norway · Boys38 shared years, 1949–2019
Ivan held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Jozef in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ivan #138 in 1984, Jozef #195 in 1958.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Ivan #218, Jozef #505.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ivan held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Jozef in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ivan #248 in 2022, Jozef #914 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ivan #274, Jozef #1758.
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 | Ivan | Jozef |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The Slavic form of John, commonly interpreted as 'God is gracious'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Old Church Slavic, via Greek Ioannes | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈaɪvən/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #235 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #785 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ivan has a recorded origin (Old Church Slavic, via Greek Ioannes); Jozef does not have one recorded yet.
- Ivan and Jozef both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ivan; Jozef doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Ivan
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #192 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1959
Highest recorded position: #83 among boys in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1959).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #235 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Jozef
Popularity journey
First recorded1949
First recorded at #327 among boys in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1949–2019
Highest recorded position: #195 among boys in Norway, in 1958 (recorded 1949–2019).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1758 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys