John vs Max
John and Maxcompared 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 2021, John was ranked #86 and Max #23 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2019, John was ranked #97 and Max #26 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, John was ranked #29 and Max #41 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #78 and Max #29 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #67 and Max #30 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Max #44 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, John was ranked #161 and Max #72 among boys in Norway.
John and Max over time
John and Max appear together in 6 published lists, across 214 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 5 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 6 of those lists, and Max 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Max moved into the top 50 at #33 in 2018 as John fell out of it to #60, having been #32 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1998, Max moved ahead of John in England and Wales · Boys — #49 and #57 the year before became #53 and #51.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 25 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, John and Max averaged 47.2 places apart, ending at #97 and #26.
- Longest-running competitions
John and Max were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 62 years, from 1946 to 2025, ending at #161 and #72.
List by list
Norway · Boys62 shared years, 1946–2025
John held the stronger position in 44 of those years, Max in 18.
Highest recorded here: John #15 in 1963, Max #60 in 2012.
The order changed in 2008: Max moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #108 and #126; by 2008 that had become #116 and #95.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #161, Max #72.
Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1973–2025
John held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Max in 1.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1973, Max #27 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #29, Max #41.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Max in 27.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Max #18 in 2012.
The order changed in 1998: Max moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #49 and #57; by 1998 that had become #53 and #51.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Max #44.
New Zealand · Boys29 shared years, 1992–2021
John held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Max in 22.
Highest recorded here: John #29 in 1992, Max #10 in 2016.
The order changed in 2000: Max moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #40 and #45; by 2000 that had become #50 and #39.
Most recent shared year, 2021: John #86, Max #23.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
John held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Max in 13.
Highest recorded here: John #17 in 1997, Max #22 in 2015.
The order changed in 2018: Max moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #32 and #38; by 2018 that had become #60 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #67, Max #30.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys25 shared years, 1992–2019
John held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Max in 16.
Highest recorded here: John #32 in 1992, Max #13 in 2014.
The order changed in 2002: Max moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #53 and #54; by 2002 that had become #57 and #39.
Most recent shared year, 2019: John #97, Max #26.
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 | Max |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | A short form of Maximilian or Maxim, ultimately from Latin 'maximus' (greatest). |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɔn/ | /ˈmæks/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 #29 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #30 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| 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 Max is recorded with a Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim origin.
- John and Max both have 1 syllable.
- John's recorded meaning differs from Max'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
Max
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #359 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1992–2023
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New Zealand, in 2016 (recorded 1992–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #30 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys