Arthur vs Piaras
Arthur and Piarascompared 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 2020, Arthur was ranked #21 and Piaras #392 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2005, Arthur was ranked #224 and Piaras #448 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Arthur and Piaras over time
Arthur and Piaras appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. Arthur held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Piaras 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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1966–2005
Arthur held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Piaras in 1.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #101 in 1966, Piaras #256 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Arthur #224, Piaras #448.
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 | Piaras |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #392 (2020) |
| 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); Piaras does not have one recorded yet.
- Arthur and Piaras both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Piaras 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 Piaras 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
Piaras
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #256 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2020
Highest recorded position: #210 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 1997–2020).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #392 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2020.
Northern Ireland · Boys