Alistair vs Benjamin
Alistair and Benjamincompared 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 · Boys
In 2019, Alistair was ranked #365 and Benjamin #57 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alistair was ranked #545 and Benjamin #61 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alistair was ranked #246 and Benjamin #78 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alistair was ranked #509 and Benjamin #83 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Alistair and Benjamin over time
Alistair and Benjamin appear together in 3 published lists, across 69 years of shared records. Benjamin held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Alistair in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alistair reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Benjamin 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 · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alistair held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Benjamin in 29.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #133 in 1996, Benjamin #6 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alistair #545, Benjamin #61.
Republic of Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1969–2025
Alistair held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Benjamin in 27.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #245 in 1979, Benjamin #50 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alistair #509, Benjamin #83.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 1997–2019
Alistair held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Benjamin in 13.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #179 in 1997, Benjamin #22 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Alistair #365, Benjamin #57.
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 | Benjamin |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'son of the right hand', with the underlying literal sense being 'son of the south' (since 'right' indicated the southerly direction in the biblical east-facing orientation convention). |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈbɛndʒəmɪn/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Benjamin has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Alistair does not have one recorded yet.
- Alistair and Benjamin both have 3 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Benjamin; Alistair doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Benjamin
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1970–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #46 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys