Humanverse

John vs Johnna

American parents have registered 5,204,377 Johns since 1880, against 10,029 Johnnas. John is still ahead, with 8,033 babies in 2025.

Babies given each name, 1880–2025

Births per year: John against Johnna, 1880 to 2025 0 25k 50k 75k 100k 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

John Johnna

Each line is every baby given the name that year, girls and boys added together — the only count that means the same thing for both names. A line breaks where the name fell below five babies in a year — the point at which the SSA stops publishing it — rather than being drawn through a figure nobody published. A single published year in a gap shows as a dot.

Who was ahead

John has been the commoner name in every year either was published, 1880 to 2025. The lead has never changed hands.

The closest they came was 1963, when John had 78,895 and Johnna had 617.

Side by side

  John Johnna
Total US births 5,204,37710,029
Most in one year 88,527617
Babies in 2025 8,03314
Estimated living today 2.7 million9,200
Median age today 5947
Peak year 19471963
Best rank 3rd boys387th girls
Rank in 2025 23rd7,491st
First recorded 18801919
Girls / boys 21,744 / 5,182,63310,029 / 0

A rank is a position within one sex’s list for one year, so the two rank rows are not subtracted from one another and the winning column is not marked on them. The living figure is a life-table estimate, not a count.

Which name is older

Half of the Johns alive today are over 59; half the Johnnas are over 47. That is 12 years between them: two names in use at the same time, worn by two different generations.

Where each one is strongest

How much commoner the name is in that state than it is nationally, from births recorded since 1910.

Compare something else

Related comparisons

Social Security Administration birth records, 1880–2025, public domain. Full histories: John and Johnna.