Ailish vs Shonagh
Ailish and Shonaghcompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1998, Ailish was ranked #301 and Shonagh #351 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ailish was ranked #483 and Shonagh #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2002, Ailish was ranked #1192 and Shonagh #4137 among girls in England and Wales.
Ailish and Shonagh over time
Ailish and Shonagh appear together in 1 published list, across 30 years of shared records. Ailish held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Shonagh in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ailish reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Shonagh 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
Ailish and Shonagh changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1980 and 2025, ending at #483 and #885.
- Longest-running competitions
Ailish and Shonagh were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 30 years, from 1980 to 2025, ending at #483 and #885.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls30 shared years, 1980–2025
Ailish held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Shonagh in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ailish #143 in 1996, Shonagh #235 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ailish #483, Shonagh #885.
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 | Ailish | Shonagh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #483 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 74/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ailish and Shonagh both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Ailish
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #327 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #138 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1990 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #483 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Shonagh
Popularity journey
First recorded1980
First recorded at #542 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1980 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1980–2025
Highest recorded position: #235 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1980–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls