Jason vs John
Jason and Johncompared 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, Jason was ranked #135 and John #29 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2004, Jason was ranked #85 and John #46 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jason was ranked #305 and John #67 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2005, Jason was ranked #91 and John #70 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jason was ranked #199 and John #78 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Jason was ranked #489 and John #136 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jason was ranked #197 and John #164 among boys in England and Wales.
Jason and John over time
Jason and John appear together in 6 published lists, across 237 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Jason in 2.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Jason 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
Jason and John changed places 10 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1964 and 2005, ending at #91 and #70.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Jason and John averaged 47.1 places apart, ending at #197 and #164.
- Longest-running competitions
Jason and John were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 42 years, from 1964 to 2005, ending at #91 and #70.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Jason #69 in 1996, John #46 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1965–2025
Jason held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 61.
Highest recorded here: Jason #18 in 1974, John #1 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jason #135, John #29.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys42 shared years, 1964–2005
Jason held the stronger position in 23 of those years, John in 19.
Highest recorded here: Jason #1 in 1971, John #5 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Jason #91, John #70.
New Zealand · Boys39 shared years, 1966–2004
Jason held the stronger position in 23 of those years, John in 16.
Highest recorded here: Jason #1 in 1970, John #5 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Jason #85, John #46.
Norway · Boys38 shared years, 1969–2024
Jason held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 38.
Highest recorded here: Jason #330 in 1972, John #21 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jason #489, John #136.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jason held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 29.
Highest recorded here: Jason #69 in 1996, John #46 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jason #197, John #164.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jason held the stronger position in 0 of those years, John in 28.
Highest recorded here: Jason #36 in 1998, John #17 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jason #305, John #67.
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 | Jason | John |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Ancient Greek Iason, meaning 'healer'. In Greek mythology, Jason led the Argonauts in the quest for the Golden Fleece; the name also appears in the New Testament as a Hellenized form possibly of a Hebrew name. | From Hebrew Yochanan, 'Yahweh is gracious', via Greek Ioannes and Latin Iohannes. One of the most widespread names in Christian Europe, associated with both John the Baptist and the apostle John. |
| Origin | Greek | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒeɪ.sən/ | /ˈjɔn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #135 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jason is recorded with a Greek origin, while John is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Jason has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for John.
- Jason's recorded meaning differs from John's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Jason
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2005
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1971 (recorded 1964–2005).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #135 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
John
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #20 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2019
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–2019).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #161 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys