Jan vs Keanu
Jan and Keanucompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Jan was ranked #330 and Keanu #770 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jan was ranked #514 and Keanu #711 among boys in England and Wales.
Jan and Keanu over time
Jan and Keanu appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Jan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Keanu in 0.
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.
Jan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Keanu 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jan and Keanu changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #514 and #711.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jan held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Keanu in 5.
Highest recorded here: Jan #226 in 2017, Keanu #496 in 2020.
The order changed in 2006: Jan moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #691 and #691; by 2006 that had become #472 and #733.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jan #514, Keanu #711.
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 | Keanu |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #149 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #711 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| 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); Keanu does not have one recorded yet.
- Jan has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Keanu.
- A meaning is recorded for Jan; Keanu doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
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
Keanu
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #505 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #711 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys