Jack vs Nathan
Jack and Nathancompared 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 Nathan #71 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, Jack was ranked #4 and Nathan #84 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jack was ranked #4 and Nathan #70 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #4 and Nathan #118 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #7 and Nathan #62 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #22 and Nathan #88 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Jack was ranked #432 and Nathan #344 among boys in Norway.
Jack and Nathan over time
Jack and Nathan appear together in 6 published lists, across 204 years of shared records. Jack held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Nathan in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Nathan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Jack in 2. 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 1994, Jack moved ahead of Nathan in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #17 and #15 the year before became #11 and #15.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jack and Nathan changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1982 and 2025, ending at #432 and #344.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jack and Nathan averaged 53.2 places apart, ending at #22 and #88.
- Mirrored each other
Over 36 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Jack rose about as far as Nathan fell — from #78 and #31 in 1988 to #4 and #70 in 2023.
- Longest-running competitions
Jack and Nathan were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 32 years, from 1986 to 2018, ending at #4 and #84.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Jack #1 in 2001, Nathan #15 in 2000.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys52 shared years, 1973–2025
Jack held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Nathan in 8.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2000, Nathan #26 in 1999.
The order changed in 1985: Jack moved ahead. In 1984 they stood at #224 and #224; by 1985 that had become #170 and #177.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jack #2, Nathan #71.
New Zealand · Boys36 shared years, 1988–2023
Jack held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Nathan in 8.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2005, Nathan #14 in 1995.
The order changed in 1996: Jack moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #19 and #14; by 1996 that had become #12 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jack #4, Nathan #70.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys32 shared years, 1986–2018
Jack held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Nathan in 8.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2003, Nathan #12 in 1989.
The order changed in 1994: Jack moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #17 and #15; by 1994 that had become #11 and #15.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Jack #4, Nathan #84.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jack held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nathan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 1996, Nathan #24 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jack #22, Nathan #88.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jack held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Nathan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2001, Nathan #15 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jack #4, Nathan #118.
Norway · Boys27 shared years, 1982–2025
Jack held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Nathan in 17.
Highest recorded here: Jack #273 in 1993, Nathan #236 in 2017.
The order changed in 2016: Nathan moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #286 and #371; by 2016 that had become #387 and #258.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jack #432, Nathan #344.
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 | Nathan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | God is gracious (via John), though now used as an independent name. | Commonly interpreted as 'he gave' or 'he has given'. |
| Origin | English, historically a diminutive of John | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒæk/ | /ˈneɪθən/ |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #2 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Jack is recorded with a English, historically a diminutive of John origin, while Nathan is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Jack has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Nathan.
- Jack's recorded meaning differs from Nathan's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Jack a "high" Data Confidence level and Nathan 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
Nathan
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #267 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–2018
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1981 (recorded 1969–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #344 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys