Alfred vs Fergal
Alfred and Fergalcompared 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 Fergal #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Alfred was ranked #392 and Fergal #334 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Alfred was ranked #472 and Fergal #660 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Alfred and Fergal over time
Alfred and Fergal appear together in 2 published lists, across 61 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.
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
Alfred and Fergal changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2023, ending at #472 and #660.
- Longest-running competitions
Alfred and Fergal were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 39 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #472 and #660.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys39 shared years, 1964–2023
Alfred held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Fergal in 31.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #134 in 1964, Fergal #46 in 1970.
The order changed in 2023: Alfred moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #657 and #657; by 2023 that had become #472 and #660.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alfred #472, Fergal #660.
England and Wales · Boys22 shared years, 1996–2024
Alfred held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Fergal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #81 in 2022, Fergal #1130 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alfred #81, Fergal #4270.
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 | Fergal |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | England and Wales · Boys #4270 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alfred and Fergal 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
Fergal
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #93 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 recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #46 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys