Jonatan vs Paul
Jonatan and Paulcompared 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 2012, Jonatan was ranked #718 and Paul #103 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Jonatan was ranked #285 and Paul #370 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jonatan was ranked #5119 and Paul #586 among boys in England and Wales.
Jonatan and Paul over time
Jonatan and Paul appear together in 2 published lists, across 57 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Paul reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Jonatan 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Jonatan and Paul were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 43 years, from 1982 to 2024, ending at #285 and #370.
List by list
Norway · Boys43 shared years, 1982–2024
Jonatan held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Paul in 18.
Highest recorded here: Jonatan #119 in 2003, Paul #119 in 1983.
The order changed in 2022: Jonatan moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #294 and #262; by 2022 that had become #250 and #393.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jonatan #285, Paul #370.
England and Wales · Boys14 shared years, 2007–2024
Jonatan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 14.
Highest recorded here: Jonatan #2613 in 2011, Paul #173 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jonatan #5119, Paul #586.
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 | Jonatan | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the Roman name Paulus, meaning 'small' in Latin. Saint Paul, originally named Saul, converted to Christianity and became a key missionary figure, authoring several New Testament epistles. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈpɔːl/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #404 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Paul has a recorded origin (Latin); Jonatan does not have one recorded yet.
- Jonatan has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Paul.
- A meaning is recorded for Paul; Jonatan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Jonatan
Popularity journey
First recorded1982
First recorded at #624 among boys in Norway in 1982 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1982–2025
Highest recorded position: #119 among boys in Norway, in 2003 (recorded 1982–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #404 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Paul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #73 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys