Namewise

James vs Yonas

James and Yonascompared 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.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2023, James was ranked #35 and Yonas #3112 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, James was ranked #355 and Yonas #522 among boys in Norway.

James and Yonas over time

James and Yonas appear together in 1 published list, across 45 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Yonas 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 Yonas 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.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys45 shared years, 19682025

    James held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Yonas in 4.

    Highest recorded here: James #218 in 1978, Yonas #258 in 1989.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: James #355, Yonas #522.

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

Side-by-side comparison of James, Yonas
FieldJamesYonas
Record typeEditorially researched profileOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningSupplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob).Not yet recorded
OriginHebrew, via Late Latin IacomusNot yet recorded
Pronunciation/ˈdʒeɪmz/Not yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesJim, Jamie, IacomusNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZGB-ENW, NO
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #4 (2025)Norway · Boys #522 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/100Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/10060/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • James has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus); Yonas does not have one recorded yet.
  • James and Yonas both have 2 syllables.
  • A meaning is recorded for James; Yonas doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
  • The available evidence gives James a "high" Data Confidence level and Yonas 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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

Yonas

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1968

    First recorded at #527 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1968–2025

    Highest recorded position: #258 among boys in Norway, in 1989 (recorded 1968–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #522 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys