Namewise

Barry vs Donnacha

Barry and Donnachacompared 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, Barry was ranked #402 and Donnacha #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2022, Barry was ranked #414 and Donnacha #138 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Barry was ranked #3254 and Donnacha #2263 among boys in England and Wales.

Barry and Donnacha over time

Barry and Donnacha appear together in 3 published lists, across 85 years of shared records. Barry held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Donnacha in 1.

The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Barry reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Donnacha 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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2006, Donnacha moved ahead of Barry in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #141 and #178 the year before became #137 and #126.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Barry and Donnacha were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 61 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #402 and #64.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 19652025

    Barry held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Donnacha in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Barry #17 in 1985, Donnacha #46 in 2022.

    The order changed in 2006: Donnacha moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #141 and #178; by 2006 that had become #137 and #126.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Barry #402, Donnacha #64.

  • England and Wales · Boys15 shared years, 20072024

    Barry held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Donnacha in 4.

    Highest recorded here: Barry #1252 in 2007, Donnacha #1786 in 2018.

    The order changed in 2022: Donnacha moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #2301 and #2493; by 2022 that had become #4001 and #3048.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Barry #3254, Donnacha #2263.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 20092022

    Barry held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Donnacha in 7.

    Highest recorded here: Barry #261 in 2011, Donnacha #134 in 2016.

    The order changed in 2011: Donnacha moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #262 and #390; by 2011 that had become #261 and #245.

    Most recent shared year, 2022: Barry #414, Donnacha #138.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Barry, Donnacha
FieldBarryDonnacha
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #64 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10076/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Barry has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Donnacha.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Barry

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #30 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

Donnacha

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1965

    First recorded at #207 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

  2. Highest recorded1965–2025

    Highest recorded position: #46 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 1965–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys