Arthur vs Flannan
Arthur and Flannancompared 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 1981, Arthur was ranked #202 and Flannan #322 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Arthur and Flannan over time
Arthur and Flannan appear together in 1 published list, across 12 years of shared records. Arthur held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Flannan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Arthur #98 in 1964, Flannan #214 in 1964.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 1964–1981
Arthur held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Flannan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #98 in 1964, Flannan #214 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Arthur #202, Flannan #322.
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 | Arthur | Flannan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹθər/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Art, Artie | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #322 (1981) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Arthur has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman); Flannan does not have one recorded yet.
- Arthur and Flannan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Flannan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in IE.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Flannan a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Arthur
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #153 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Flannan
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #214 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–1981
Highest recorded position: #214 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–1981).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent1981
Most recently recorded at #322 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1981.
Republic of Ireland · Boys