Alistair vs Nicky
Alistair and Nickycompared 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 Nicky #4991 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2017, Alistair was ranked #610 and Nicky #710 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Alistair and Nicky over time
Alistair and Nicky appear together in 1 published list, across 27 years of shared records. Alistair held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Nicky 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 Nicky 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.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alistair #133 in 1996, Nicky #493 in 1997.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 1996–2023
Alistair held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Nicky in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #133 in 1996, Nicky #493 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alistair #556, Nicky #4991.
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 | Nicky |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| 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 #4991 (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 Nicky.
- 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
Nicky
Popularity journey
First recorded1985
First recorded at #269 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1985 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1985–2022
Highest recorded position: #269 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1985–2022).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4991 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys