James vs Paul
James and Paulcompared 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 Paul #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #4 and Paul #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1998, James was ranked #5 and Paul #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1998, James was ranked #5 and Paul #86 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #14 and Paul #290 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #40 and Paul #586 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #264 and Paul #370 among boys in Norway.
James and Paul over time
James and Paul appear together in 6 published lists, across 288 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Paul reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and James 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 1979, James moved ahead of Paul in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #16 and #11 the year before became #12 and #13.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
James and Paul changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2024, ending at #264 and #370.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 46 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, James and Paul averaged 21.3 places apart, ending at #5 and #86.
- Longest-running competitions
James and Paul were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 46 years, from 1952 to 1998, ending at #5 and #86.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — James #2 in 1997, Paul #72 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #5 and #4 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 1 places apart; by 2025 they were #4 and #286.
List by list
Norway · Boys79 shared years, 1945–2024
James held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Paul in 73.
Highest recorded here: James #218 in 1978, Paul #67 in 1946.
The order changed in 2022: James moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #400 and #262; by 2022 that had become #366 and #393.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #264, Paul #370.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
James held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Paul in 11.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 1994, Paul #3 in 1978.
The order changed in 1983: James moved ahead. In 1982 they stood at #6 and #4; by 1983 that had become #6 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #4, Paul #286.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys46 shared years, 1952–1998
James held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Paul in 27.
Highest recorded here: James #3 in 1997, Paul #4 in 1966.
The order changed in 1979: James moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #16 and #11; by 1979 that had become #12 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 1998: James #5, Paul #86.
New Zealand · Boys44 shared years, 1954–1998
James held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Paul in 23.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1993, Paul #3 in 1965.
The order changed in 1977: James moved ahead. In 1976 they stood at #9 and #8; by 1977 that had become #8 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 1998: James #5, Paul #86.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
James held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Paul in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1997, Paul #72 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #40, Paul #586.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
James held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Paul in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2015, Paul #27 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #1, Paul #278.
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 | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). | From the Roman name Paulus, meaning 'small' in Latin. Saint Paul, originally named Saul, converted to Christianity and became a key missionary figure, authoring several New Testament epistles. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ | /ˈpɔːl/ |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (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 Paul is recorded with a Latin origin.
- James has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Paul.
- James's recorded meaning differs from Paul'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 Paul 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
Paul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #73 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys