Aaron vs Dale
Aaron and Dalecompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1991, Aaron was ranked #21 and Dale #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2016, Aaron was ranked #50 and Dale #358 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Aaron was ranked #62 and Dale #657 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Dale #2671 among boys in England and Wales.
Aaron and Dale over time
Aaron and Dale appear together in 4 published lists, across 105 years of shared records. Aaron held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Dale in 0.
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.
Dale reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Aaron in 1. 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1970, Aaron moved ahead of Dale in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #98 and #90 the year before became #77 and #98.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and Dale were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 43 years, from 1968 to 2022, ending at #62 and #657.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Aaron #31 in 1998, Dale #117 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys43 shared years, 1968–2022
Aaron held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Dale in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #6 in 1998, Dale #89 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Aaron #62, Dale #657.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Dale in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Dale #117 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Dale #2671.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys18 shared years, 1969–1991
Aaron held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Dale in 1.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #18 in 1986, Dale #75 in 1988.
The order changed in 1970: Aaron moved ahead. In 1969 they stood at #98 and #90; by 1970 that had become #77 and #98.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Aaron #21, Dale #100.
Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 1997–2016
Aaron held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Dale in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 2000, Dale #111 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Aaron #50, Dale #358.
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 | Aaron | Dale |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Best known as the name of Moses's elder brother and the first high priest of Israel in the Old Testament; the literal meaning of the name itself is not reliably established. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2671 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aaron has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin)); Dale does not have one recorded yet.
- Aaron and Dale both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Aaron; Dale doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Aaron
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Dale
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1957–1991
Highest recorded position: #75 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1988 (recorded 1957–1991).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2671 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys