Jan vs Maree
Jan and Mareecompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1968, Jan was ranked #98 and Maree #42 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1961, Jan was ranked #99 and Maree #56 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Jan and Maree over time
Jan and Maree appear together in 2 published lists, across 24 years of shared records. Maree held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Jan in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 2 of those lists, and Maree 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 took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Girls, Maree moved into the top 50 at #43 in 1962 as Jan fell out of it to #56, having been #47 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1955, Maree moved ahead of Jan in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #65 and #66 the year before became #74 and #51.
List by list
New Zealand · Girls14 shared years, 1955–1968
Jan held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Maree in 7.
Highest recorded here: Jan #47 in 1961, Maree #42 in 1968.
The order changed in 1962: Maree moved ahead. In 1961 they stood at #47 and #66; by 1962 that had become #56 and #43.
Most recent shared year, 1968: Jan #98, Maree #42.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls10 shared years, 1952–1961
Jan held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Maree in 7.
Highest recorded here: Jan #63 in 1952, Maree #51 in 1955.
The order changed in 1955: Maree moved ahead. In 1954 they stood at #65 and #66; by 1955 that had become #74 and #51.
Most recent shared year, 1961: Jan #99, Maree #56.
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 | Maree |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | female |
| 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 | AU-NSW, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #149 (2025) | New Zealand · Girls #88 (1974) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jan has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Dutch/Scandinavian/Central European transmission); Maree does not have one recorded yet.
- Jan has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Maree.
- A meaning is recorded for Jan; Maree doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, 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
Maree
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #72 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1955–1974
Highest recorded position: #42 among girls in New Zealand, in 1968 (recorded 1955–1974).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent1974
Most recently recorded at #88 among girls in New Zealand, in 1974.
New Zealand · Girls