Allen vs Craig
Allen and Craigcompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1960, Allen was ranked #93 and Craig #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1957, Allen was ranked #99 and Craig #51 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2010, Allen was ranked #720 and Craig #171 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Allen was ranked #4270 and Craig #2263 among boys in England and Wales.
Allen and Craig over time
Allen and Craig appear together in 2 published lists, across 72 years of shared records. Craig held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Allen 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1979, Craig moved ahead of Allen in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #157 and #198 the year before became #166 and #158.
- Longest-running competitions
Allen and Craig were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 43 years, from 1964 to 2010, ending at #720 and #171.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys43 shared years, 1964–2010
Allen held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Craig in 28.
Highest recorded here: Allen #127 in 1966, Craig #39 in 1990.
The order changed in 1979: Craig moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #157 and #198; by 1979 that had become #166 and #158.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Allen #720, Craig #171.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Allen held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Craig in 28.
Highest recorded here: Allen #1079 in 2007, Craig #81 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Allen #4270, Craig #2263.
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 | Allen | Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the Scottish surname derived from Gaelic 'creag', meaning 'crag, rocks, outcrop' — originally denoting someone who lived near a crag. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkɹeɪɡ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #4270 (2024) | Scotland · Boys #478 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Craig has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic (surname origin)); Allen does not have one recorded yet.
- Allen has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Craig.
- A meaning is recorded for Craig; Allen doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Allen
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #79 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 recorded1952–1960
Highest recorded position: #76 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1960).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Craig
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #79 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1992
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1954–1992).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2263 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys