Jan vs Sully
Jan and Sullycompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jan was ranked #514 and Sully #509 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jan was ranked #535 and Sully #619 among boys in Scotland.
Jan and Sully over time
Jan and Sully appear together in 1 published list, across 16 years of shared records. Jan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Sully 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 Sully 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
England and Wales · Boys16 shared years, 2005–2024
Jan held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Sully in 1.
Highest recorded here: Jan #226 in 2017, Sully #509 in 2024.
The order changed in 2024: Sully moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #411 and #719; by 2024 that had become #514 and #509.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jan #514, Sully #509.
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 | Sully |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #149 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #509 (2024) |
| 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); Sully does not have one recorded yet.
- Jan has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Sully.
- A meaning is recorded for Jan; Sully doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT.
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
Sully
Popularity journey
First recorded2005
First recorded at #3208 among boys in England and Wales in 2005 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2005–2024
Highest recorded position: #509 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 2005–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #509 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys