John vs Stephen
John and Stephencompared 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 Stephen #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1997, John was ranked #38 and Stephen #95 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1997, John was ranked #46 and Stephen #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2001, John was ranked #65 and Stephen #522 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #67 and Stephen #305 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #78 and Stephen #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Stephen #651 among boys in England and Wales.
John and Stephen over time
John and Stephen appear together in 6 published lists, across 259 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Stephen 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 Stephen 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 Stephen changed places 6 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1954 and 1997, ending at #38 and #95.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 46 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, John and Stephen averaged 10.2 places apart, ending at #46 and #100.
- Longest-running competitions
John and Stephen were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 46 years, from 1952 to 1997, ending at #46 and #100.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — John #46 in 1996, Stephen #60 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #17 and #23 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2024 they were #67 and #305.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
John held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Stephen in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1964, Stephen #4 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #29, Stephen #232.
Norway · Boys50 shared years, 1946–2001
John held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Stephen in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #12 in 1955, Stephen #210 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2001: John #65, Stephen #522.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys46 shared years, 1952–1997
John held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Stephen in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1952, Stephen #3 in 1955.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1997: John #46, Stephen #100.
New Zealand · Boys44 shared years, 1954–1997
John held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Stephen in 3.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1954, Stephen #5 in 1958.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1997: John #38, Stephen #95.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Stephen in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Stephen #60 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Stephen #651.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
John held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Stephen in 1.
Highest recorded here: John #17 in 1997, Stephen #21 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #67, Stephen #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 | Stephen |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Stephanos, meaning 'crown, wreath' — literally 'that which surrounds'. Saint Stephen, a deacon stoned to death in the New Testament, is regarded as the first Christian martyr. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɔn/ | /ˈstiː.vən/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Steven, Stefan, Stephan |
| 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 #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- John is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Stephen is recorded with a Greek origin.
- John has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Stephen.
- John's recorded meaning differs from Stephen's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives John a "medium" Data Confidence level and Stephen a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Stephen
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #352 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1997
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1955 (recorded 1952–1997).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys