Jan vs Tom
Jan and Tomcompared 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 Tom #48 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Jan was ranked #352 and Tom #71 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Jan was ranked #149 and Tom #388 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jan was ranked #535 and Tom #352 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jan was ranked #514 and Tom #757 among boys in England and Wales.
Jan and Tom over time
Jan and Tom appear together in 4 published lists, across 156 years of shared records. Tom held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Jan in 1.
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 3 of those lists, Tom 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 Tom were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #149 and #388.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Jan held the stronger position in 81 of those years, Tom in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jan #1 in 1946, Tom #12 in 1960.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jan #149, Tom #388.
Republic of Ireland · Boys31 shared years, 1981–2025
Jan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Tom in 30.
Highest recorded here: Jan #114 in 2012, Tom #32 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jan #372, Tom #48.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jan held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Tom in 19.
Highest recorded here: Jan #226 in 2017, Tom #83 in 2000.
The order changed in 2015: Jan moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #261 and #240; by 2015 that had become #251 and #252.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jan #514, Tom #757.
Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 2005–2022
Jan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Tom in 15.
Highest recorded here: Jan #222 in 2010, Tom #42 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Jan #352, Tom #71.
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 | Tom |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #149 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #48 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| 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); Tom does not have one recorded yet.
- Jan and Tom both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Jan; Tom doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Tom
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #50 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: #12 among boys in Norway, in 1960 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #388 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys