Jan vs Samson
Jan and Samsoncompared 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 Samson #439 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Jan was ranked #259 and Samson #342 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jan was ranked #394 and Samson #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jan was ranked #514 and Samson #651 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jan was ranked #535 and Samson #619 among boys in Scotland.
Jan and Samson over time
Jan and Samson appear together in 3 published lists, across 78 years of shared records. Jan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Samson 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.
Samson 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jan and Samson changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #514 and #651.
- Longest-running competitions
Jan and Samson were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 36 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #149 and #439.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Jan #226 in 2017, Samson #452 in 2016.
List by list
Norway · Boys36 shared years, 1969–2025
Jan held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Samson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jan #1 in 1969, Samson #349 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jan #149, Samson #439.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jan held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Samson in 7.
Highest recorded here: Jan #226 in 2017, Samson #452 in 2016.
The order changed in 2006: Jan moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #691 and #605; by 2006 that had become #472 and #698.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jan #514, Samson #651.
Republic of Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 1999–2024
Jan held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Samson in 1.
Highest recorded here: Jan #139 in 2010, Samson #379 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jan #394, Samson #785.
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 | Samson |
|---|---|---|
| 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-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #149 (2025) | Norway · Boys #439 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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); Samson does not have one recorded yet.
- Jan has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Samson.
- A meaning is recorded for Jan; Samson doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Samson
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #541 among boys in Norway in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #439 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys