John vs Phillip
John and Phillipcompared 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 2024, John was ranked #29 and Phillip #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1995, John was ranked #35 and Phillip #100 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1994, John was ranked #37 and Phillip #90 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2012, John was ranked #47 and Phillip #403 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, John was ranked #161 and Phillip #268 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Phillip #1460 among boys in England and Wales.
John and Phillip over time
John and Phillip appear together in 6 published lists, across 209 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Phillip in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Phillip 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
John and Phillip changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1972 and 2025, ending at #161 and #268.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 43 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, John and Phillip averaged 26.6 places apart, ending at #37 and #90.
- Longest-running competitions
John and Phillip were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 43 years, from 1952 to 1994, ending at #37 and #90.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — John #46 in 1996, Phillip #180 in 1996.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Boys43 shared years, 1952–1994
John held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Phillip in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1952, Phillip #14 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1994: John #37, Phillip #90.
Norway · Boys43 shared years, 1972–2025
John held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Phillip in 2.
Highest recorded here: John #28 in 1983, Phillip #116 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #161, Phillip #268.
Republic of Ireland · Boys43 shared years, 1964–2024
John held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Phillip in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1964, Phillip #122 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #29, Phillip #785.
New Zealand · Boys42 shared years, 1954–1995
John held the stronger position in 42 of those years, Phillip in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1954, Phillip #35 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1995: John #35, Phillip #100.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Phillip in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Phillip #180 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Phillip #1460.
Northern Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 1997–2012
John held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Phillip in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #17 in 1997, Phillip #189 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: John #47, Phillip #403.
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 | Phillip |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) | Norway · Boys #268 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- John has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Phillip does not have one recorded yet.
- John has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Phillip.
- A meaning is recorded for John; Phillip doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Phillip
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #14 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1994
Highest recorded position: #14 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1994).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #268 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys