Jan vs Jon
Jan and Joncompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Jan was ranked #149 and Jon #124 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Jan was ranked #191 and Jon #764 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2005, Jan was ranked #307 and Jon #265 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jan was ranked #514 and Jon #1758 among boys in England and Wales.
Jan and Jon over time
Jan and Jon appear together in 3 published lists, across 124 years of shared records. Jan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Jon 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.
Jon reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Jan in 1. 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 2023, Jon moved ahead of Jan in Norway · Boys — #112 and #132 the year before became #139 and #133.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jan and Jon changed places 13 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #149 and #124.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 81 shared years in Norway · Boys, Jan and Jon averaged 20.8 places apart, ending at #149 and #124.
- Longest-running competitions
Jan and Jon were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #149 and #124.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Jan held the stronger position in 69 of those years, Jon in 12.
Highest recorded here: Jan #1 in 1946, Jon #19 in 1982.
The order changed in 2023: Jon moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #112 and #132; by 2023 that had become #139 and #133.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jan #149, Jon #124.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jan held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Jon in 10.
Highest recorded here: Jan #226 in 2017, Jon #239 in 1996.
The order changed in 2006: Jan moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #691 and #461; by 2006 that had become #472 and #485.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jan #514, Jon #1758.
Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 1975–2019
Jan held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Jon in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jan #114 in 2012, Jon #236 in 1975.
The order changed in 2004: Jan moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #451 and #451; by 2004 that had become #351 and #506.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Jan #191, Jon #764.
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 | Jan | Jon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A form of Johannes used across many European languages, from Hebrew Yochanan via Greek Ioannes — 'Yahweh is gracious'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Dutch/Scandinavian/Central European transmission | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɑːn/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #149 (2025) | Norway · Boys #124 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jan has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Dutch/Scandinavian/Central European transmission); Jon does not have one recorded yet.
- Jan and Jon both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Jan; Jon doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Jan
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #2 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #149 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Jon
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #34 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #19 among boys in Norway, in 1982 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #124 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys