John vs Nicholas
John and Nicholascompared 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 Nicholas #198 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2011, John was ranked #62 and Nicholas #94 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2019, John was ranked #97 and Nicholas #66 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #67 and Nicholas #305 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #78 and Nicholas #191 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, John was ranked #161 and Nicholas #325 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Nicholas #211 among boys in England and Wales.
John and Nicholas over time
John and Nicholas appear together in 6 published lists, across 306 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Nicholas in 1.
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 4 of those lists, and Nicholas 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 1982, Nicholas moved ahead of John in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #19 and #20 the year before became #20 and #19.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
John and Nicholas changed places 6 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1954 and 2011, ending at #62 and #94.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, John and Nicholas averaged 28.4 places apart, ending at #164 and #211.
- Longest-running competitions
John and Nicholas were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 63 years, from 1955 to 2019, ending at #97 and #66.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — John #46 in 1996, Nicholas #52 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys66 shared years, 1951–2025
John held the stronger position in 65 of those years, Nicholas in 1.
Highest recorded here: John #12 in 1955, Nicholas #126 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #161, Nicholas #325.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys63 shared years, 1955–2019
John held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Nicholas in 36.
Highest recorded here: John #2 in 1955, Nicholas #6 in 2002.
The order changed in 1982: Nicholas moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #19 and #20; by 1982 that had become #20 and #19.
Most recent shared year, 2019: John #97, Nicholas #66.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
John held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Nicholas in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1964, Nicholas #58 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #29, Nicholas #198.
New Zealand · Boys58 shared years, 1954–2011
John held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Nicholas in 28.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1954, Nicholas #8 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: John #62, Nicholas #94.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nicholas in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Nicholas #52 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Nicholas #211.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
John held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Nicholas in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #17 in 1997, Nicholas #104 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #67, Nicholas #305.
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 | Nicholas |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | From Greek Nikolaos, combining 'nike' (victory) and 'laos' (people) — 'victory of the people'. Associated with Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop and the inspiration for Santa Claus. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɔn/ | /ˈnɪk.ə.ləs/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #198 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Nicholas is recorded with a Greek origin.
- John has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Nicholas.
- John's recorded meaning differs from Nicholas'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
Nicholas
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #384 among boys in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1955–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2002 (recorded 1955–2024).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #325 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys