Alistair vs Ray
Alistair and Raycompared 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alistair was ranked #246 and Ray #404 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Alistair was ranked #365 and Ray #418 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alistair was ranked #509 and Ray #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alistair was ranked #545 and Ray #613 among boys in England and Wales.
Alistair and Ray over time
Alistair and Ray appear together in 2 published lists, across 44 years of shared records. Alistair held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ray in 0.
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.
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 Ray changed places 6 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #545 and #613.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alistair held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Ray in 3.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #133 in 1996, Ray #429 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alistair #545, Ray #613.
Republic of Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 1970–2025
Alistair held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Ray in 5.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #256 in 1986, Ray #251 in 1970.
The order changed in 2025: Alistair moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #785 and #430; by 2025 that had become #509 and #676.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alistair #509, Ray #676.
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 | Ray |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alistair has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Ray.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Ray
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #265 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #251 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1967–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys