Janet vs Tess
Janet and Tesscompared 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 · Girls
In 2018, Janet was ranked #896 and Tess #162 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1997, Janet was ranked #314 and Tess #358 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Janet was ranked #3318 and Tess #2771 among girls in England and Wales.
Janet and Tess over time
Janet and Tess appear together in 2 published lists, across 40 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.
Janet reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Tess 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.
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
Janet and Tess changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1990 and 2018, ending at #896 and #162.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Janet held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Tess in 29.
Highest recorded here: Janet #1031 in 1996, Tess #423 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Janet #3318, Tess #2771.
Republic of Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 1990–2018
Janet held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Tess in 4.
Highest recorded here: Janet #228 in 1990, Tess #162 in 2018.
The order changed in 2010: Tess moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #439 and #490; by 2010 that had become #910 and #245.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Janet #896, Tess #162.
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 | Janet | Tess |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #3318 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #148 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Janet has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Tess.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Janet
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #308 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1966
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1966).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3318 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Tess
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #517 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1990–2025
Highest recorded position: #133 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 1990–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #148 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls