James vs Oisín

James and Oisíncompared 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, James was ranked #4 and Oisín #5 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

James and Oisín over time

James and Oisín appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Oisín in 0.

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

James reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Oisín 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.

List by list

Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 2018–2025
James held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Oisín in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 2018, Oisín #5 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #4, Oisín #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.

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.

James vs Jordan
In 1997 they stood at #3 and #6 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 3 places apart; by 2024 they were #1 and #404.
James · Jordan · 28 shared years, 1997–2024 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2024 Northern Ireland ranking
James vs Gerard
In 1964 they stood at #5 and #10 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 5 places apart; by 2025 they were #4 and #348.
James · Gerard · 62 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking
James vs Timothy
Over 52 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, James rose about as far as Timothy fell — from #20 and #61 in 1954 to #5 and #100 in 2005.
James · Timothy · 52 shared years, 1954–2005 · Mirrored each other
See the 2005 New Zealand ranking
James vs Daniel
James and Daniel changed places 12 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1954 and 2023, ending at #15 and #53.
James · Daniel · 69 shared years, 1954–2023 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2023 New Zealand ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of James, Oisín
Field	James	Oisín
Record type	Editorially researched profile	Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usage	male	male
Meaning	Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob).	Not yet recorded
Origin	Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus	Not yet recorded
Pronunciation	/ˈdʒeɪmz/	Not yet recorded
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	IE
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (2025)	Republic of Ireland · Boys #5 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	90/100	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	94/100	94/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	40/100
Data Confidence	high	medium

What the data shows

James has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus); Oisín does not have one recorded yet.
James has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Oisín.
A meaning is recorded for James; Oisín doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in IE.
The available evidence gives James a "high" Data Confidence level and Oisín 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

Oisín

Popularity journey

First recorded2018
First recorded at #15 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 2018 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2018–2025
Highest recorded position: #5 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2023 (recorded 2018–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys