John vs Scott
John and Scottcompared 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 Scott #198 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1999, John was ranked #45 and Scott #95 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2002, John was ranked #47 and Scott #96 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #67 and Scott #239 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #78 and Scott #199 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, John was ranked #161 and Scott #365 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Scott #1025 among boys in England and Wales.
John and Scott over time
John and Scott appear together in 6 published lists, across 251 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Scott in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
John reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Scott 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 Scott changed places 6 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1960 and 2002, ending at #47 and #96.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 43 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, John and Scott averaged 14.0 places apart, ending at #45 and #95.
- Longest-running competitions
John and Scott were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 43 years, from 1957 to 1999, ending at #45 and #95.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — John #46 in 1996, Scott #48 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #46 and #48 in England and Wales · Boys, 2 places apart; by 2024 they were #164 and #1025.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys56 shared years, 1970–2025
John held the stronger position in 56 of those years, Scott in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1970, Scott #42 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #29, Scott #198.
Norway · Boys53 shared years, 1957–2025
John held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Scott in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #15 in 1964, Scott #213 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #161, Scott #365.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys43 shared years, 1957–1999
John held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Scott in 20.
Highest recorded here: John #2 in 1957, Scott #8 in 1973.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1999: John #45, Scott #95.
New Zealand · Boys43 shared years, 1960–2002
John held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Scott in 11.
Highest recorded here: John #3 in 1963, Scott #12 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2002: John #47, Scott #96.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Scott in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Scott #48 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Scott #1025.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024
John held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Scott in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #17 in 1997, Scott #36 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #67, Scott #239.
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 | Scott |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | An English/Scottish surname referring to a person from Scotland or a Scottish Gaelic speaker, from Latin 'Scoti' ('Gael, Gaelic speaker') — the ultimate origin of that Latin term is itself uncertain. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | English/Scottish (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɔn/ | /ˈskɑt/ |
| 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 #198 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| 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 Scott is recorded with a English/Scottish (surname origin) origin.
- John and Scott both have 1 syllable.
- John's recorded meaning differs from Scott'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
Scott
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #75 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1957–1999
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1973 (recorded 1957–1999).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #365 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys