Jack vs Jackson
Jack and Jacksoncompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jack was ranked #2 and Jackson #198 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jack was ranked #4 and Jackson #41 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #4 and Jackson #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #7 and Jackson #130 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Jack was ranked #10 and Jackson #90 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #22 and Jackson #131 among boys in England and Wales.
Jack and Jackson over time
Jack and Jackson appear together in 5 published lists, across 145 years of shared records. Jack held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Jackson in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Jack reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Jackson 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 36 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Jack and Jackson averaged 38.4 places apart, ending at #10 and #90.
- Mirrored each other
Over 21 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Jackson rose about as far as Jack fell — from #1 and #518 in 2005 to #2 and #198 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Jack and Jackson were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 36 years, from 1990 to 2025, ending at #10 and #90.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Boys36 shared years, 1990–2025
Jack held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Jackson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2003, Jackson #27 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jack #10, Jackson #90.
New Zealand · Boys31 shared years, 1993–2023
Jack held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Jackson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2005, Jackson #21 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jack #4, Jackson #41.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jack held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Jackson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 1996, Jackson #74 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jack #22, Jackson #131.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jack held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Jackson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2001, Jackson #68 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jack #4, Jackson #154.
Republic of Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 2005–2025
Jack held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Jackson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2005, Jackson #99 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jack #2, Jackson #198.
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 | Jack | Jackson |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | God is gracious (via John), though now used as an independent name. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English, historically a diminutive of John | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒæk/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Jankin | 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #2 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #90 (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 | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Jack has a recorded origin (English, historically a diminutive of John); Jackson does not have one recorded yet.
- Jack has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Jackson.
- A meaning is recorded for Jack; Jackson doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Jack a "high" Data Confidence level and Jackson a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Jack
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #171 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Jackson
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #89 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1993–2023
Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in New Zealand, in 2014 (recorded 1993–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #90 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys