John vs Steven
John and Stevencompared 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 Steven #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1997, John was ranked #38 and Steven #77 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2000, John was ranked #47 and Steven #84 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #78 and Steven #307 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, John was ranked #79 and Steven #414 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2017, John was ranked #133 and Steven #487 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Steven #800 among boys in England and Wales.
John and Steven over time
John and Steven appear together in 6 published lists, across 267 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Steven 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 Steven 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 Steven changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1952 and 2000, ending at #47 and #84.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 49 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, John and Steven averaged 12.4 places apart, ending at #47 and #84.
- Longest-running competitions
John and Steven were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 49 years, from 1952 to 2000, ending at #47 and #84.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — John #46 in 1996, Steven #73 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1964–2025
John held the stronger position in 61 of those years, Steven in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1964, Steven #57 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #29, Steven #829.
Norway · Boys60 shared years, 1946–2017
John held the stronger position in 60 of those years, Steven in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #12 in 1955, Steven #224 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: John #133, Steven #487.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys49 shared years, 1952–2000
John held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Steven in 2.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1952, Steven #12 in 1961.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2000: John #47, Steven #84.
New Zealand · Boys44 shared years, 1954–1997
John held the stronger position in 44 of those years, Steven in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #1 in 1954, Steven #15 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1997: John #38, Steven #77.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Steven in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Steven #73 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, Steven #800.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2022
John held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Steven in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #17 in 1997, Steven #54 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: John #79, Steven #414.
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 | Steven |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- John has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Steven does not have one recorded yet.
- John has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Steven.
- A meaning is recorded for John; Steven doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Steven
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #363 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2000
Highest recorded position: #12 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2000).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys