Alfred vs Donal
Alfred and Donalcompared 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, Alfred was ranked #81 and Donal #5119 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Alfred was ranked #414 and Donal #234 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alfred was ranked #286 and Donal #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Alfred and Donal over time
Alfred and Donal appear together in 3 published lists, across 72 years of shared records. Donal held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Alfred in 1.
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.
Alfred reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Donal 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Alfred and Donal were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 45 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #286 and #509.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Alfred #134 in 1964, Donal #38 in 1965.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys45 shared years, 1964–2025
Alfred held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Donal in 42.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #134 in 1964, Donal #38 in 1965.
The order changed in 2025: Alfred moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #430 and #374; by 2025 that had become #286 and #509.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alfred #286, Donal #509.
England and Wales · Boys15 shared years, 1996–2024
Alfred held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Donal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #81 in 2024, Donal #1746 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alfred #81, Donal #5119.
Northern Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 2008–2022
Alfred held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Donal in 11.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #262 in 2009, Donal #184 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Alfred #414, Donal #234.
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 | Alfred | Donal |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #26 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alfred and Donal both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Alfred
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #127 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #18 among boys in Norway, in 2023 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #26 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Donal
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #45 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys