Alistair vs Bernard
Alistair and Bernardcompared 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1961, Alistair was ranked #96 and Bernard #87 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2012, Alistair was ranked #403 and Bernard #346 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alistair was ranked #509 and Bernard #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alistair was ranked #545 and Bernard #613 among boys in England and Wales.
Alistair and Bernard over time
Alistair and Bernard appear together in 3 published lists, across 64 years of shared records. Bernard held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Alistair 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.
Alistair reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Bernard 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alistair held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Bernard in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #133 in 1996, Bernard #613 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alistair #545, Bernard #613.
Republic of Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1969–2025
Alistair held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Bernard in 26.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #245 in 1979, Bernard #38 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alistair #509, Bernard #509.
Northern Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1997–2012
Alistair held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Bernard in 5.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #179 in 1997, Bernard #163 in 1998.
The order changed in 2001: Bernard moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #241 and #277; by 2001 that had become #280 and #192.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Alistair #403, Bernard #346.
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 | Bernard |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| 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, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) | Norway · Boys #277 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alistair has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Bernard.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Bernard
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #84 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #33 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #277 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys