Aengus vs Duncan
Aengus and Duncancompared 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 1996, Aengus was ranked #295 and Duncan #336 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aengus was ranked #3254 and Duncan #1675 among boys in England and Wales.
Aengus and Duncan over time
Aengus and Duncan appear together in 2 published lists, across 28 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.
Duncan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Aengus 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Aengus and Duncan changed places 9 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1965 and 1996, ending at #295 and #336.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Aengus #200 in 1973, Duncan #184 in 1971.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 1965–1996
Aengus held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Duncan in 5.
Highest recorded here: Aengus #200 in 1973, Duncan #184 in 1971.
The order changed in 1996: Aengus moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #339 and #339; by 1996 that had become #295 and #336.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Aengus #295, Duncan #336.
England and Wales · Boys9 shared years, 1997–2024
Aengus held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Duncan in 9.
Highest recorded here: Aengus #1821 in 1998, Duncan #289 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aengus #3254, Duncan #1675.
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 | Aengus | Duncan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly glossed as 'brown warrior', though sources disagree on the compound's second element: Behind the Name gives 'brown' + 'battle', while Etymonline gives 'brown' + 'head'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Scottish Gaelic (Anglicised), from Donnchadh |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈdʌŋkən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3254 (2024) | Scotland · Boys #246 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Duncan has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic (Anglicised), from Donnchadh); Aengus does not have one recorded yet.
- Aengus and Duncan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Duncan; Aengus doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Aengus
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #204 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2013
Highest recorded position: #200 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1973 (recorded 1964–2013).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3254 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Duncan
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #250 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 recorded1974–1980
Highest recorded position: #79 among boys in New Zealand, in 1974 (recorded 1974–1980).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1675 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys