Arthur vs Miceal
Arthur and Micealcompared 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 2024, Arthur was ranked #16 and Miceal #404 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2011, Arthur was ranked #170 and Miceal #730 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Arthur and Miceal over time
Arthur and Miceal appear together in 2 published lists, across 33 years of shared records. Arthur held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Miceal 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Arthur #91 in 1965, Miceal #159 in 1966.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 1965–2011
Arthur held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Miceal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #91 in 1965, Miceal #159 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Arthur #170, Miceal #730.
Northern Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 2004–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Miceal in 3.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #16 in 2024, Miceal #235 in 2004.
The order changed in 2010: Arthur moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #293 and #262; by 2010 that had become #248 and #303.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #16, Miceal #404.
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 | Miceal |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #5 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #404 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Arthur has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman); Miceal does not have one recorded yet.
- Arthur and Miceal both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Miceal doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Miceal 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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Miceal
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #250 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2011
Highest recorded position: #159 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1965–2011).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #404 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Boys