John vs Paul
John and Paulcompared 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 Paul #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1998, John was ranked #46 and Paul #86 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1998, John was ranked #49 and Paul #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #67 and Paul #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #78 and Paul #290 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #136 and Paul #370 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Paul #586 among boys in England and Wales.
John and Paul over time
John and Paul appear together in 6 published lists, across 289 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Paul 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, Paul in 1. 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
John and Paul changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1952 and 1998, ending at #49 and #86.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 46 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, John and Paul averaged 9.2 places apart, ending at #49 and #86.
- Longest-running competitions
John and Paul were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 46 years, from 1952 to 1998, ending at #49 and #86.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — John #46 in 1996, Paul #72 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #17 and #27 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 10 places apart; by 2024 they were #67 and #278.
List by list
Norway · Boys80 shared years, 1945–2024
John held the stronger position in 80 of those years, Paul in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #12 in 1955, Paul #67 in 1946.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #136, Paul #370.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
John held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Paul in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1964, Paul #3 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #29, Paul #286.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys46 shared years, 1952–1998
John held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Paul in 18.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1952, Paul #4 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1998: John #49, Paul #86.
New Zealand · Boys44 shared years, 1954–1998
John held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Paul in 17.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1954, Paul #3 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1998: John #46, Paul #86.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Paul in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Paul #72 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Paul #586.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
John held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Paul in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #17 in 1997, Paul #27 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #67, Paul #278.
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 | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| 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 the Roman name Paulus, meaning 'small' in Latin. Saint Paul, originally named Saul, converted to Christianity and became a key missionary figure, authoring several New Testament epistles. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɔn/ | /ˈpɔːl/ |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (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 Paul is recorded with a Latin origin.
- John and Paul both have 1 syllable.
- John's recorded meaning differs from Paul'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
Paul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #73 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys