Andy vs Kenneth
Andy and Kennethcompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 1999, Andy was ranked #277 and Kenneth #241 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Andy was ranked #350 and Kenneth #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Andy was ranked #727 and Kenneth #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Andy was ranked #1108 and Kenneth #968 among boys in England and Wales.
Andy and Kenneth over time
Andy and Kenneth appear together in 2 published lists, across 60 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Kenneth reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Andy 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
Andy and Kenneth changed places 10 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1108 and #968.
- Longest-running competitions
Andy and Kenneth were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 31 years, from 1992 to 2024, ending at #350 and #785.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Andy #484 in 1997, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys31 shared years, 1992–2024
Andy held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Kenneth in 18.
Highest recorded here: Andy #236 in 2000, Kenneth #80 in 1992.
The order changed in 2012: Andy moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #490 and #387; by 2012 that had become #279 and #718.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Andy #350, Kenneth #785.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Andy held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Kenneth in 13.
Highest recorded here: Andy #484 in 1997, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Andy #1108, Kenneth #968.
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 | Andy | Kenneth |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed, of Scottish Gaelic origin. Borne by the Scottish king Kenneth mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Scottish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #262 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kenneth has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic); Andy does not have one recorded yet.
- Andy and Kenneth both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kenneth; Andy doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Andy
Popularity journey
First recorded1992
First recorded at #337 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1992 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1992–2025
Highest recorded position: #236 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1992–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #262 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Kenneth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2021
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #968 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys