Jan vs Robin
Jan and Robincompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1955, Jan was ranked #74 and Robin #92 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jan was ranked #535 and Robin #110 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jan was ranked #514 and Robin #125 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Jan was ranked #149 and Robin #202 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Jan was ranked #372 and Robin #176 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Jan was ranked #352 and Robin #192 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1964, Jan was ranked #327 and Robin #257 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2010, Jan was ranked #4688 and Robin #1389 among girls in England and Wales.
Jan and Robin over time
Jan and Robin appear together in 4 published lists, across 154 years of shared records. Robin held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Jan in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Jan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Robin 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jan and Robin changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #514 and #125.
- Longest-running competitions
Jan and Robin were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 74 years, from 1946 to 2025, ending at #149 and #202.
List by list
Norway · Boys74 shared years, 1946–2025
Jan held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Robin in 20.
Highest recorded here: Jan #1 in 1946, Robin #34 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jan #149, Robin #202.
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1969–2025
Jan held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Robin in 20.
Highest recorded here: Jan #114 in 2012, Robin #151 in 1991.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jan #372, Robin #176.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jan held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Robin in 25.
Highest recorded here: Jan #226 in 2017, Robin #120 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jan #514, Robin #125.
Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2008–2022
Jan held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Robin in 9.
Highest recorded here: Jan #222 in 2010, Robin #184 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Jan #352, Robin #192.
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 | Robin |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| 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/ | |
| 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, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #149 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #176 (2025) |
| 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); Robin does not have one recorded yet.
- Jan has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Robin.
- A meaning is recorded for Jan; Robin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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
Robin
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #362 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1946–2025
Highest recorded position: #34 among boys in Norway, in 1993 (recorded 1946–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #202 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys