Alfred vs Niall
Alfred and Niallcompared 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 2025, Alfred was ranked #76 and Niall #745 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Alfred was ranked #272 and Niall #189 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alfred was ranked #286 and Niall #244 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alfred was ranked #278 and Niall #246 among boys in Scotland.
Alfred and Niall over time
Alfred and Niall appear together in 3 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Niall 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.
Niall reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Alfred 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2003, Alfred moved ahead of Niall in England and Wales · Boys — #142 and #128 the year before became #125 and #162.
- Longest-running competitions
Alfred and Niall were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #76 and #745.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Alfred #262 in 2009, Niall #62 in 2008.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys45 shared years, 1964–2025
Alfred held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niall in 45.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #134 in 1964, Niall #24 in 1972.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alfred #286, Niall #244.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Alfred held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Niall in 7.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #76 in 2023, Niall #106 in 1996.
The order changed in 2003: Alfred moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #142 and #128; by 2003 that had become #125 and #162.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alfred #76, Niall #745.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2008–2023
Alfred held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niall in 13.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #262 in 2009, Niall #62 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alfred #272, Niall #189.
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 | Niall |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #26 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #244 (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 has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Niall.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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 #76 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Niall
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #47 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: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1991 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #745 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys