John vs Seth
John and Sethcompared 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 Seth #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2011, John was ranked #62 and Seth #84 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #67 and Seth #108 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #78 and Seth #535 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2009, John was ranked #93 and Seth #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Seth #308 among boys in England and Wales.
John and Seth over time
John and Seth appear together in 4 published lists, across 86 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Seth 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 Seth 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — John #15 in 2001, Seth #292 in 2002.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Seth in 5.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Seth #90 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Seth #308.
Republic of Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 2001–2025
John held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Seth in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #15 in 2001, Seth #292 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #29, Seth #577.
Northern Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 2000–2024
John held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Seth in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #19 in 2003, Seth #81 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #67, Seth #108.
New Zealand · Boys11 shared years, 2000–2011
John held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Seth in 1.
Highest recorded here: John #40 in 2001, Seth #51 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: John #62, Seth #84.
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 | Seth |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Seth does not have one recorded yet.
- John and Seth both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for John; Seth doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Seth
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #441 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2000–2011
Highest recorded position: #51 among boys in New Zealand, in 2005 (recorded 2000–2011).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys