Jonas vs Kenneth
Jonas 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, Jonas was ranked #23 and Kenneth #475 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Jonas was ranked #454 and Kenneth #572 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Jonas was ranked #727 and Kenneth #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jonas was ranked #691 and Kenneth #968 among boys in England and Wales.
Jonas and Kenneth over time
Jonas and Kenneth appear together in 3 published lists, across 120 years of shared records. Jonas held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kenneth in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 3 of those lists, and Jonas 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 73 shared years in Norway · Boys, Jonas rose about as far as Kenneth fell — from #257 and #303 in 1945 to #23 and #475 in 2021.
- Longest-running competitions
Jonas and Kenneth were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 73 years, from 1945 to 2021, ending at #23 and #475.
List by list
Norway · Boys73 shared years, 1945–2021
Jonas held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Kenneth in 37.
Highest recorded here: Jonas #1 in 2006, Kenneth #10 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Jonas #23, Kenneth #475.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jonas held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Kenneth in 10.
Highest recorded here: Jonas #422 in 2018, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
The order changed in 2006: Jonas moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #850 and #512; by 2006 that had become #663 and #688.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jonas #691, Kenneth #968.
Republic of Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 2005–2022
Jonas held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Kenneth in 7.
Highest recorded here: Jonas #313 in 2016, Kenneth #191 in 2005.
The order changed in 2019: Jonas moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #572 and #369; by 2019 that had become #466 and #646.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Jonas #454, Kenneth #572.
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 | Jonas | Kenneth |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with the biblical figure Jonah; some traditions link the underlying Hebrew root to 'dove'. | 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 | Hebrew, via Greek; used in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German tradition | Scottish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjuː.nas/ | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #49 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jonas is recorded with a Hebrew, via Greek; used in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German tradition origin, while Kenneth is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic origin.
- Jonas and Kenneth both have 2 syllables.
- Jonas's recorded meaning differs from Kenneth's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Jonas
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #257 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: #1 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 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