Jan vs Samir
Jan and Samircompared 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 Samir #518 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Jan was ranked #279 and Samir #552 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jan was ranked #514 and Samir #898 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jan was ranked #535 and Samir #619 among boys in Scotland.
Jan and Samir over time
Jan and Samir appear together in 3 published lists, across 96 years of shared records. Jan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Samir 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.
Samir 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Jan and Samir were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 57 years, from 1957 to 2025, ending at #149 and #518.
List by list
Norway · Boys57 shared years, 1957–2025
Jan held the stronger position in 57 of those years, Samir in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jan #1 in 1957, Samir #275 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jan #149, Samir #518.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jan held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Samir in 11.
Highest recorded here: Jan #226 in 2017, Samir #328 in 2004.
The order changed in 2007: Jan moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #472 and #453; by 2007 that had become #376 and #622.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jan #514, Samir #898.
Republic of Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 2003–2021
Jan held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Samir in 1.
Highest recorded here: Jan #120 in 2013, Samir #423 in 2003.
The order changed in 2006: Jan moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #500 and #423; by 2006 that had become #247 and #493.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Jan #279, Samir #552.
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 | Samir |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #149 (2025) | Norway · Boys #518 (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); Samir does not have one recorded yet.
- Jan has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Samir.
- A meaning is recorded for Jan; Samir doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, 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
Samir
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #445 among boys in Norway in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1957–2025
Highest recorded position: #275 among boys in Norway, in 1964 (recorded 1957–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #518 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys