Alistair vs Bence
Alistair and Bencecompared 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 2023, Alistair was ranked #556 and Bence #2813 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2016, Alistair was ranked #713 and Bence #601 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Alistair and Bence over time
Alistair and Bence appear together in 1 published list, across 18 years of shared records. Alistair held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Bence in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alistair reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Bence 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys18 shared years, 2005–2023
Alistair held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Bence in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #328 in 2005, Bence #1281 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alistair #556, Bence #2813.
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 | Alistair | Bence |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2813 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alistair has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Bence.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Alistair
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #97 among boys in New Zealand in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1956–1964
Highest recorded position: #87 among boys in New Zealand, in 1958 (recorded 1956–1964).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Bence
Popularity journey
First recorded2005
First recorded at #3849 among boys in England and Wales in 2005 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2008–2016
Highest recorded position: #534 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2013 (recorded 2008–2016).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #2813 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys