Jon vs Kenneth
Jon and Kennethcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2021, Jon was ranked #151 and Kenneth #475 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2000, Jon was ranked #244 and Kenneth #277 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Jon was ranked #764 and Kenneth #646 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jon was ranked #1758 and Kenneth #968 among boys in England and Wales.
Jon and Kenneth over time
Jon and Kenneth appear together in 3 published lists, across 124 years of shared records. Jon held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kenneth in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Kenneth reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Jon 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
Jon and Kenneth changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1758 and #968.
- Longest-running competitions
Jon and Kenneth were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 76 years, from 1945 to 2021, ending at #151 and #475.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Jon #239 in 1996, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys76 shared years, 1945–2021
Jon held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Kenneth in 23.
Highest recorded here: Jon #19 in 1982, Kenneth #10 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Jon #151, Kenneth #475.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jon held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Kenneth in 11.
Highest recorded here: Jon #239 in 1996, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
The order changed in 2019: Kenneth moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #1158 and #1324; by 2019 that had become #1369 and #929.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jon #1758, Kenneth #968.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 1975–2019
Jon held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Kenneth in 18.
Highest recorded here: Jon #236 in 1975, Kenneth #30 in 1975.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Jon #764, Kenneth #646.
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 | Jon | Kenneth |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed, of Scottish Gaelic origin. Borne by the Scottish king Kenneth mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Scottish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #124 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kenneth has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic); Jon does not have one recorded yet.
- Jon has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Kenneth.
- A meaning is recorded for Kenneth; Jon doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Jon
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #34 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #19 among boys in Norway, in 1982 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #124 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Kenneth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2021
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #968 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys