Alistair vs Farrell
Alistair and Farrellcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1990, Alistair was ranked #323 and Farrell #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2018, Alistair was ranked #471 and Farrell #4749 among boys in England and Wales.
Alistair and Farrell over time
Alistair and Farrell appear together in 1 published list, across 22 years of shared records. Alistair held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Farrell 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 Farrell 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 · Boys22 shared years, 1996–2018
Alistair held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Farrell in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #133 in 1996, Farrell #815 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Alistair #471, Farrell #4749.
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 | Farrell |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #779 (2022) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alistair has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Farrell.
- 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
Farrell
Popularity journey
First recorded1982
First recorded at #330 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1982 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1982–2022
Highest recorded position: #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1990 (recorded 1982–2022).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #779 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2022.
Republic of Ireland · Boys