Andreas vs Shay
Andreas and Shaycompared 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 2025, Andreas was ranked #829 and Shay #52 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Andreas was ranked #552 and Shay #389 among boys in England and Wales.
Andreas and Shay over time
Andreas and Shay appear together in 2 published lists, across 41 years of shared records. Shay held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Andreas 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.
Andreas reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Shay 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 · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Andreas held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Shay in 28.
Highest recorded here: Andreas #358 in 1996, Shay #156 in 2006.
The order changed in 1997: Shay moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #358 and #489; by 1997 that had become #438 and #281.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Andreas #552, Shay #389.
Republic of Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 1972–2025
Andreas held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Shay in 10.
Highest recorded here: Andreas #279 in 1972, Shay #39 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Andreas #829, Shay #52.
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 | Andreas | Shay |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #96 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #52 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Andreas has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shay.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Andreas
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #140 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Norway, in 1991 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #96 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Shay
Popularity journey
First recorded1972
First recorded at #279 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1972 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1972–2025
Highest recorded position: #39 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 1972–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys