James vs Theodore
James and Theodorecompared 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 Theodore #32 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #15 and Theodore #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #4 and Theodore #44 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, James was ranked #15 and Theodore #6 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #40 and Theodore #8 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #14 and Theodore #36 among boys in Scotland.
James and Theodore over time
James and Theodore appear together in 5 published lists, across 95 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Theodore in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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 Theodore 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 2019, Theodore moved ahead of James in England and Wales · Boys — #21 and #29 the year before became #22 and #18.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
James held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Theodore in 6.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1997, Theodore #8 in 2022.
The order changed in 2019: Theodore moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #21 and #29; by 2019 that had become #22 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #40, Theodore #8.
Republic of Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1964–2025
James held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Theodore in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2016, Theodore #44 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #4, Theodore #44.
Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 2001–2024
James held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Theodore in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2015, Theodore #32 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #1, Theodore #32.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys11 shared years, 2015–2025
James held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Theodore in 5.
Highest recorded here: James #5 in 2015, Theodore #3 in 2024.
The order changed in 2021: Theodore moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #11 and #15; by 2021 that had become #18 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #15, Theodore #3.
New Zealand · Boys11 shared years, 2013–2023
James held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Theodore in 3.
Highest recorded here: James #3 in 2013, Theodore #6 in 2022.
The order changed in 2021: Theodore moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #13 and #15; by 2021 that had become #14 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2023: James #15, Theodore #6.
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 | Theodore |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). | Gift of God. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ | /ˈθiəˌdɔɹ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus | Teddy |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin, while Theodore is recorded with a Greek origin.
- James has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Theodore.
- James's recorded meaning differs from Theodore's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Theodore
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #214 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2015–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 2015–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys