John vs Kenneth
John and Kennethcompared 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1981, John was ranked #16 and Kenneth #88 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1977, John was ranked #17 and Kenneth #99 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #29 and Kenneth #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2007, John was ranked #33 and Kenneth #315 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #78 and Kenneth #535 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2021, John was ranked #147 and Kenneth #475 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Kenneth #968 among boys in England and Wales.
John and Kenneth over time
John and Kenneth appear together in 5 published lists, across 212 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Kenneth in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Kenneth 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 26 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, John and Kenneth averaged 45.7 places apart, ending at #17 and #99.
- Longest-running competitions
John and Kenneth were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 76 years, from 1945 to 2021, ending at #147 and #475.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — John #46 in 1996, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys76 shared years, 1945–2021
John held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Kenneth in 22.
Highest recorded here: John #12 in 1955, Kenneth #10 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: John #147, Kenneth #475.
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2024
John held the stronger position in 60 of those years, Kenneth in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1964, Kenneth #26 in 1972.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #29, Kenneth #785.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Kenneth in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Kenneth #968.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 1952–1977
John held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Kenneth in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1952, Kenneth #16 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1977: John #17, Kenneth #99.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 1954–1981
John held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Kenneth in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1954, Kenneth #28 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1981: John #16, Kenneth #88.
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 | John | Kenneth |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | 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. | An Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed, of Scottish Gaelic origin. Borne by the Scottish king Kenneth mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Scottish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɔn/ | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 #29 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- John is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Kenneth is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic origin.
- John has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Kenneth.
- John's recorded meaning differs from Kenneth'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
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
Kenneth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2021
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #968 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys