Alistair vs Desmond
Alistair and Desmondcompared 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 1958, Alistair was ranked #87 and Desmond #90 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2008, Alistair was ranked #378 and Desmond #378 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alistair was ranked #509 and Desmond #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alistair was ranked #545 and Desmond #1951 among boys in England and Wales.
Alistair and Desmond over time
Alistair and Desmond appear together in 2 published lists, across 54 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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
Alistair and Desmond changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1969 and 2025, ending at #509 and #402.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alistair held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Desmond in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #133 in 1996, Desmond #1133 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alistair #545, Desmond #1951.
Republic of Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1969–2025
Alistair held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Desmond in 20.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #245 in 1979, Desmond #52 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alistair #509, Desmond #402.
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 | Desmond |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (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 Desmond.
- 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
Desmond
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #78 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: #43 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys