James vs William
James and Williamcompared 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 William #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #355 and William #3 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #4 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, James was ranked #15 and William #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, James was ranked #15 and William #14 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #14 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, James was ranked #40 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, James was ranked #5785 and William #5785 among girls in England and Wales.
James and William over time
James and William appear together in 6 published lists, across 343 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, William in 2.
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 4 of those lists, William in 2. 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 2015, William moved ahead of James in England and Wales · Boys — #9 and #10 the year before became #11 and #8.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
James and William changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #40 and #27.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, James and William averaged 5.7 places apart, ending at #40 and #27.
- Longest-running competitions
James and William were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 74 years, from 1952 to 2025, ending at #15 and #11.
List by list
Norway · Boys80 shared years, 1945–2025
James held the stronger position in 12 of those years, William in 68.
Highest recorded here: James #218 in 1978, William #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #355, William #3.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys74 shared years, 1952–2025
James held the stronger position in 45 of those years, William in 29.
Highest recorded here: James #3 in 1996, William #1 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #15, William #11.
New Zealand · Boys70 shared years, 1954–2023
James held the stronger position in 50 of those years, William in 20.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1993, William #3 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: James #15, William #14.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
James held the stronger position in 62 of those years, William in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 1994, William #8 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: James #4, William #73.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
James held the stronger position in 14 of those years, William in 15.
Highest recorded here: James #2 in 1997, William #7 in 2006.
The order changed in 2015: William moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #9 and #10; by 2015 that had become #11 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #40, William #27.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
James held the stronger position in 28 of those years, William in 0.
Highest recorded here: James #1 in 2015, William #26 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: James #1, William #64.
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 | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| 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) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| 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 William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
- James and William both have 2 syllables.
- James's recorded meaning differs from William'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 William 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
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys