Jack vs Zachary
Jack and Zacharycompared 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 Zachary #211 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2021, Jack was ranked #3 and Zachary #92 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #4 and Zachary #125 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #7 and Zachary #125 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2023, Jack was ranked #11 and Zachary #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jack was ranked #22 and Zachary #69 among boys in England and Wales.
Jack and Zachary over time
Jack and Zachary appear together in 5 published lists, across 168 years of shared records. Jack held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Zachary in 0.
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.
Zachary reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 36 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Jack and Zachary averaged 40.9 places apart, ending at #11 and #86.
- Longest-running competitions
Jack and Zachary were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 36 years, from 1988 to 2023, ending at #11 and #86.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Jack #1 in 2000, Zachary #156 in 1999.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1976–2025
Jack held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Zachary in 1.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2000, Zachary #156 in 1999.
The order changed in 1979: Jack moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #316 and #288; by 1979 that had become #257 and #324.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jack #2, Zachary #211.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys36 shared years, 1988–2023
Jack held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Zachary in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2003, Zachary #29 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jack #11, Zachary #86.
New Zealand · Boys34 shared years, 1988–2021
Jack held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Zachary in 1.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2005, Zachary #45 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Jack #3, Zachary #92.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jack held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Zachary in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 1996, Zachary #39 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jack #22, Zachary #69.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jack held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Zachary in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jack #1 in 2001, Zachary #87 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jack #4, Zachary #125.
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 | Zachary |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #211 (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); Zachary does not have one recorded yet.
- Jack has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Zachary.
- A meaning is recorded for Jack; Zachary 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 Zachary 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
Zachary
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #288 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1988–2023
Highest recorded position: #29 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1998 (recorded 1988–2023).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #211 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys