John vs Kingston
John and Kingstoncompared 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, John was ranked #29 and Kingston #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, John was ranked #70 and Kingston #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, John was ranked #99 and Kingston #92 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Kingston #1460 among boys in England and Wales.
John and Kingston over time
John and Kingston appear together in 2 published lists, across 34 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kingston in 0.
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.
John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Kingston 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2020, Kingston moved ahead of John in New Zealand · Boys — #76 and #92 the year before became #99 and #92.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — John #54 in 2008, Kingston #54 in 2010.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys22 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Kingston in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Kingston #818 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Kingston #1460.
New Zealand · Boys12 shared years, 2007–2020
John held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Kingston in 2.
Highest recorded here: John #54 in 2008, Kingston #54 in 2010.
The order changed in 2020: Kingston moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #76 and #92; by 2020 that had become #99 and #92.
Most recent shared year, 2020: John #99, Kingston #92.
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 | Kingston |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɔn/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- John has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Kingston does not have one recorded yet.
- John has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Kingston.
- A meaning is recorded for John; Kingston doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, 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
Kingston
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2863 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2007–2020
Highest recorded position: #54 among boys in New Zealand, in 2010 (recorded 2007–2020).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys