James vs Sebastian
James and Sebastiancompared 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 Sebastian #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #4 and Sebastian #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #14 and Sebastian #116 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #15 and Sebastian #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, James was ranked #15 and Sebastian #52 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #42 and Sebastian #47 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #355 and Sebastian #53 among boys in Norway.
James and Sebastian over time
James and Sebastian appear together in 6 published lists, across 199 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Sebastian in 1.
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.
James reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Sebastian 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 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, James and Sebastian averaged 53.0 places apart, ending at #42 and #47.
- Longest-running competitions
James and Sebastian were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #42 and #47.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — James #1 in 2015, Sebastian #102 in 2015.
List by list
Norway · Boys58 shared years, 1968–2025
James held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Sebastian in 54.
Highest recorded here: James #218 in 1978, Sebastian #6 in 2006.
The order changed in 1972: Sebastian moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #239 and #347; by 1972 that had become #300 and #226.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #355, Sebastian #53.
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1970–2025
James held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2016, Sebastian #80 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #4, Sebastian #125.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
James held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1997, Sebastian #28 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #42, Sebastian #47.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
James held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #5 in 2000, Sebastian #20 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #15, Sebastian #31.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1999–2024
James held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2015, Sebastian #102 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #1, Sebastian #154.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2002–2023
James held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 2007, Sebastian #52 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: James #15, Sebastian #52.
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 | Sebastian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). | Traditionally interpreted as 'venerable' or 'revered' — from Latin Sebastianus, 'from Sebaste' (a city in Asia Minor), whose own name derives from a Greek word used to translate the Roman imperial title Augustus. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus | Latin, from Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ | /səˈbæstʃən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| 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 #31 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 65/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 70/100 |
| 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 Sebastian is recorded with a Latin, from Greek origin.
- James has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Sebastian.
- James's recorded meaning differs from Sebastian'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 Sebastian 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 #42 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Sebastian
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #415 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1968–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1968–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys