John vs Murray
John and Murraycompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1971, John was ranked #10 and Murray #92 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1973, John was ranked #14 and Murray #100 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, John was ranked #29 and Murray #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, John was ranked #53 and Murray #398 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #78 and Murray #88 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Murray #1282 among boys in England and Wales.
John and Murray over time
John and Murray appear together in 3 published lists, across 64 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Murray in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Murray 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 20 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, John and Murray averaged 32.8 places apart, ending at #14 and #100.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — John #46 in 1996, Murray #471 in 1997.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Murray in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Murray #471 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Murray #1282.
New Zealand · Boys20 shared years, 1954–1973
John held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Murray in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1954, Murray #16 in 1955.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1973: John #14, Murray #100.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys15 shared years, 1957–1971
John held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Murray in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #2 in 1957, Murray #70 in 1963.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1971: John #10, Murray #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 | Murray |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Originally a Scottish surname/place-name derived from the region of Moray; traditionally glossed as relating to 'seashore' or 'coastal land', though the exact pre-Gaelic (possibly Pictish) root is uncertain. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Scottish Gaelic, from the place name Moray (possibly of Pictish origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɔn/ | /ˈmɜri/ |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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 Murray is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic, from the place name Moray (possibly of Pictish origin) origin.
- John has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Murray.
- John's recorded meaning differs from Murray's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Murray
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #17 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1973
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in New Zealand, in 1955 (recorded 1954–1973).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys