Jane vs Jenny
Jane and Jennycompared 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 · Girls
In 2013, Jane was ranked #576 and Jenny #25 among girls in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1964, Jane was ranked #28 and Jenny #98 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Jane was ranked #189 and Jenny #424 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Jane was ranked #213 and Jenny #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Jane was ranked #1160 and Jenny #1491 among girls in England and Wales.
Jane and Jenny over time
Jane and Jenny appear together in 4 published lists, across 163 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Jenny reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Jane 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
Jane and Jenny changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1160 and #1491.
- Mirrored each other
Over 61 shared years in Norway · Girls, Jenny rose about as far as Jane fell — from #246 and #190 in 1945 to #576 and #25 in 2013.
- Longest-running competitions
Jane and Jenny were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 61 years, from 1945 to 2013, ending at #576 and #25.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Jane #316 in 1996, Jenny #256 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Girls61 shared years, 1945–2013
Jane held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Jenny in 34.
Highest recorded here: Jane #73 in 1960, Jenny #25 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Jane #576, Jenny #25.
Republic of Ireland · Girls53 shared years, 1972–2025
Jane held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Jenny in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jane #62 in 1997, Jenny #184 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jane #213, Jenny #885.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jane held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Jenny in 19.
Highest recorded here: Jane #316 in 1996, Jenny #256 in 1996.
The order changed in 2021: Jane moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #1618 and #1100; by 2021 that had become #2341 and #2499.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jane #1160, Jenny #1491.
Northern Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 1997–2019
Jane held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Jenny in 2.
Highest recorded here: Jane #80 in 2000, Jenny #119 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Jane #189, Jenny #424.
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 | Jane | Jenny |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #213 (2025) | Norway · Girls #29 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 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
- Jane and Jenny both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Jane
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #246 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1984
Highest recorded position: #25 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1966 (recorded 1952–1984).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #213 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Jenny
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #190 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #13 among girls in Norway, in 2015 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #29 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls