Jack vs Theodore
Jack and Theodorecompared 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 Theodore #44 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Jack was ranked #10 and Theodore #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Jack was ranked #4 and Theodore #6 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #4 and Theodore #32 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #7 and Theodore #36 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #22 and Theodore #8 among boys in England and Wales.
Jack and Theodore over time
Jack and Theodore appear together in 5 published lists, across 94 years of shared records. Jack held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Theodore in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Jack reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Theodore 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2021, Theodore moved ahead of Jack in England and Wales · Boys — #10 and #14 the year before became #13 and #11.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jack held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Theodore in 4.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 1996, Theodore #8 in 2022.
The order changed in 2021: Theodore moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #10 and #14; by 2021 that had become #13 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jack #22, Theodore #8.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1988–2025
Jack held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Theodore in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2002, Theodore #44 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jack #2, Theodore #44.
Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 2001–2024
Jack held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Theodore in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2001, Theodore #32 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jack #4, Theodore #32.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys11 shared years, 2015–2025
Jack held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Theodore in 4.
Highest recorded here: Jack #3 in 2015, Theodore #3 in 2024.
The order changed in 2022: Theodore moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #3 and #8; by 2022 that had become #6 and #5.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jack #10, Theodore #3.
New Zealand · Boys11 shared years, 2013–2023
Jack held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Theodore in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #2 in 2013, Theodore #6 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jack #4, Theodore #6.
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 | Theodore |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Gift of God. |
| Origin | English, historically a diminutive of John | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒæk/ | /ˈθiəˌdɔɹ/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Jankin | Teddy |
| 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 #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Jack is recorded with a English, historically a diminutive of John origin, while Theodore is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Jack has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Theodore.
- Jack's recorded meaning differs from Theodore's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Theodore
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #214 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2015–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 2015–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys