Jan vs Ruadhán
Jan and Ruadháncompared 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 2025, Jan was ranked #372 and Ruadhán #120 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Jan and Ruadhán over time
Jan and Ruadhán appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. Ruadhán held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Jan 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 Ruadhán 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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 2018–2025
Jan held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Ruadhán in 5.
Highest recorded here: Jan #172 in 2018, Ruadhán #120 in 2025.
The order changed in 2021: Ruadhán moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #183 and #250; by 2021 that had become #279 and #182.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jan #372, Ruadhán #120.
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 | Ruadhán |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #149 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #120 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jan has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Dutch/Scandinavian/Central European transmission); Ruadhán does not have one recorded yet.
- Jan and Ruadhán both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Jan; Ruadhán doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in IE.
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
Ruadhán
Popularity journey
First recorded2018
First recorded at #200 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 2018 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2018–2025
Highest recorded position: #120 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 2018–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #120 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys