Allen vs Ruaidhri
Allen and Ruaidhricompared 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 2010, Allen was ranked #720 and Ruaidhri #400 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2005, Allen was ranked #1377 and Ruaidhri #3849 among boys in England and Wales.
Allen and Ruaidhri over time
Allen and Ruaidhri appear together in 1 published list, across 35 years of shared records. Allen held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ruaidhri 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.
Allen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ruaidhri 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Allen and Ruaidhri changed places 9 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1971 and 2010, ending at #720 and #400.
- Longest-running competitions
Allen and Ruaidhri were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 35 years, from 1971 to 2010, ending at #720 and #400.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys35 shared years, 1971–2010
Allen held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Ruaidhri in 15.
Highest recorded here: Allen #137 in 1971, Ruaidhri #157 in 1978.
The order changed in 2001: Ruaidhri moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #242 and #369; by 2001 that had become #409 and #347.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Allen #720, Ruaidhri #400.
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 | Ruaidhri |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3256 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #339 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Allen and Ruaidhri both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
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 recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3256 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Ruaidhri
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #257 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1971–2017
Highest recorded position: #157 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1978 (recorded 1971–2017).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #339 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Boys