Abel vs Beau
Abel and Beaucompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Abel was ranked #166 and Beau #110 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Abel was ranked #432 and Beau #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Abel was ranked #352 and Beau #160 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Abel was ranked #202 and Beau #164 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Abel was ranked #5581 and Beau #395 among girls in England and Wales.
Abel and Beau over time
Abel and Beau appear together in 3 published lists, across 60 years of shared records. Beau held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Abel 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Abel and Beau changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 2009 and 2024, ending at #202 and #164.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Abel #153 in 2023, Beau #109 in 2023.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Abel held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Beau in 28.
Highest recorded here: Abel #153 in 2023, Beau #109 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abel #166, Beau #110.
Republic of Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 2007–2025
Abel held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Beau in 12.
Highest recorded here: Abel #329 in 2022, Beau #127 in 2023.
The order changed in 2018: Beau moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #374 and #418; by 2018 that had become #635 and #239.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abel #432, Beau #152.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2009–2024
Abel held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Beau in 6.
Highest recorded here: Abel #147 in 2022, Beau #150 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abel #202, Beau #164.
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 | Abel | Beau |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | ||
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #110 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Abel has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Beau.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Abel
Popularity journey
First recorded1977
First recorded at #581 among boys in Norway in 1977 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1977–2025
Highest recorded position: #82 among boys in Norway, in 2021 (recorded 1977–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #110 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Beau
Popularity journey
First recorded1986
First recorded at #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1986 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded2012–2023
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in New Zealand, in 2023 (recorded 2012–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #25 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys