James vs Leo
James and Leocompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #1 and Leo #12 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #4 and Leo #10 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #40 and Leo #5 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #15 and Leo #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, James was ranked #15 and Leo #5 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #14 and Leo #5 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #355 and Leo #28 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2020, James was ranked #5493 and Leo #5493 among girls in England and Wales.
James and Leo over time
James and Leo appear together in 6 published lists, across 214 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Leo 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.
James reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Leo 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 2017, Leo moved ahead of James in England and Wales · Boys — #12 and #13 the year before became #17 and #7.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
James and Leo changed places 7 times in Norway · Boys between 1947 and 2025, ending at #355 and #28.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, James and Leo averaged 55.2 places apart, ending at #40 and #5.
- Mirrored each other
Over 21 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Leo rose about as far as James fell — from #8 and #86 in 2003 to #15 and #5 in 2023.
- Longest-running competitions
James and Leo were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 57 years, from 1947 to 2025, ending at #355 and #28.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
James held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Leo in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 1994, Leo #10 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #4, Leo #10.
Norway · Boys57 shared years, 1947–2025
James held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Leo in 31.
Highest recorded here: James #218 in 1978, Leo #28 in 2025.
The order changed in 2000: Leo moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #269 and #281; by 2000 that had become #395 and #192.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #355, Leo #28.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
James held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Leo in 8.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1997, Leo #5 in 2022.
The order changed in 2017: Leo moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #12 and #13; by 2017 that had become #17 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #40, Leo #5.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
James held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Leo in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2015, Leo #6 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #1, Leo #12.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
James held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Leo in 6.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 2007, Leo #3 in 2019.
The order changed in 2018: Leo moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #6 and #11; by 2018 that had become #9 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2023: James #15, Leo #5.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
James held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Leo in 8.
Highest recorded here: James #5 in 2013, Leo #3 in 2022.
The order changed in 2018: Leo moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #5 and #14; by 2018 that had become #11 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #15, Leo #5.
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 | James | Leo |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). | Lion. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ | /ˈliːoʊ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus | 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 #4 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #5 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin, while Leo is recorded with a Latin origin.
- James has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Leo.
- James's recorded meaning differs from Leo'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 James a "high" Data Confidence level and Leo a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
James
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Leo
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys