Jason vs Michael
Jason and Michaelcompared 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 Michael #22 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2004, Jason was ranked #85 and Michael #25 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2005, Jason was ranked #91 and Michael #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Jason was ranked #305 and Michael #66 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jason was ranked #199 and Michael #66 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jason was ranked #197 and Michael #85 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Jason was ranked #489 and Michael #186 among boys in Norway.
Jason and Michael over time
Jason and Michael appear together in 6 published lists, across 237 years of shared records. Michael held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Jason in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Michael reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Jason in 2. 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 42 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Jason and Michael averaged 24.8 places apart, ending at #91 and #31.
- Longest-running competitions
Jason and Michael were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 42 years, from 1964 to 2005, ending at #91 and #31.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Jason #69 in 1996, Michael #22 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1965–2025
Jason held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Michael in 61.
Highest recorded here: Jason #18 in 1974, Michael #2 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jason #135, Michael #22.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys42 shared years, 1964–2005
Jason held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Michael in 38.
Highest recorded here: Jason #1 in 1971, Michael #1 in 1974.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Jason #91, Michael #31.
New Zealand · Boys39 shared years, 1966–2004
Jason held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Michael in 36.
Highest recorded here: Jason #1 in 1970, Michael #1 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Jason #85, Michael #25.
Norway · Boys38 shared years, 1969–2024
Jason held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Michael in 38.
Highest recorded here: Jason #330 in 1972, Michael #48 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jason #489, Michael #186.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jason held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Michael in 29.
Highest recorded here: Jason #69 in 1996, Michael #22 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jason #197, Michael #85.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Jason held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Michael in 28.
Highest recorded here: Jason #36 in 1998, Michael #7 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jason #305, Michael #66.
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 | Michael |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Commonly interpreted as a rhetorical question, 'Who is like God?', implying no one compares to God. |
| Origin | Greek | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒeɪ.sən/ | /ˈmaɪkəl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| 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 #22 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jason is recorded with a Greek origin, while Michael is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Jason and Michael both have 2 syllables.
- Jason's recorded meaning differs from Michael'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
Michael
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #259 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1974 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #62 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys