Aengus vs Ray
Aengus and Raycompared 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 2013, Aengus was ranked #711 and Ray #534 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aengus was ranked #3254 and Ray #613 among boys in England and Wales.
Aengus and Ray over time
Aengus and Ray appear together in 2 published lists, across 20 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.
Aengus reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Ray 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 Ray changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1967 and 2013, ending at #711 and #534.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys11 shared years, 1967–2013
Aengus held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Ray in 3.
Highest recorded here: Aengus #222 in 1967, Ray #251 in 1970.
The order changed in 2010: Ray moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #272 and #303; by 2010 that had become #720 and #611.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Aengus #711, Ray #534.
England and Wales · Boys9 shared years, 1997–2024
Aengus held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ray in 9.
Highest recorded here: Aengus #1821 in 1998, Ray #459 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aengus #3254, Ray #613.
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 | Ray |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3254 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aengus has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ray.
- 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
Ray
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #265 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #251 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1967–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys