Namewise

James vs Logan

James and Logancompared 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 Logan #67 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, James was ranked #4 and Logan #121 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, James was ranked #14 and Logan #29 among boys in Scotland.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, James was ranked #15 and Logan #79 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2024, James was ranked #21 and Logan #81 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, James was ranked #42 and Logan #87 among boys in England and Wales.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2020, James was ranked #5493 and Logan #2449 among girls in England and Wales.

James and Logan over time

James and Logan appear together in 5 published lists, across 152 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Logan in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

James reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Logan 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 26 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, James and Logan averaged 42.2 places apart, ending at #21 and #81.

  • Longest-running competitions

    James and Logan were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #42 and #87.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — James #1 in 2015, Logan #10 in 2017.

List by list

  • New Zealand · Boys45 shared years, 1979–2023

    James held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Logan in 0.

    Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1993, Logan #18 in 2001.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: James #15, Logan #79.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    James held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Logan in 0.

    Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1997, Logan #20 in 2017.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: James #42, Logan #87.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 1999–2024

    James held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Logan in 0.

    Highest recorded here: James #5 in 1999, Logan #30 in 2015.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: James #21, Logan #81.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1997–2024

    James held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Logan in 0.

    Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2015, Logan #10 in 2017.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: James #1, Logan #67.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1997–2025

    James held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Logan in 0.

    Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2016, Logan #41 in 2017.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: James #4, Logan #121.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving James

Pairs where James shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Logan

Pairs where Logan shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from Northern Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Northern Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Northern Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of James, Logan
FieldJamesLogan
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningSupplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob).Derived from a Scottish place name in Ayrshire, traditionally interpreted as 'little hollow', from Gaelic lag ('hollow, pit') plus a diminutive suffix — became a Scottish surname before being adopted as a given name.
OriginHebrew, via Late Latin IacomusScottish Gaelic, place-name-turned-surname-turned-given-name
Pronunciation/ˈdʒeɪmz//ˈloʊɡən/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesJim, Jamie, IacomusNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #4 (2025)England and Wales · Boys #87 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin, while Logan is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic, place-name-turned-surname-turned-given-name origin.
  • James and Logan both have 2 syllables.
  • James's recorded meaning differs from Logan's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
  • The available evidence gives James a "high" Data Confidence level and Logan 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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #42 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Logan

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1979

    First recorded at #65 among boys in New Zealand in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New Zealand · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2017 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #87 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys