Barry vs Kenneth
Barry 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1972, Barry was ranked #73 and Kenneth #100 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1973, Barry was ranked #97 and Kenneth #90 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2007, Barry was ranked #276 and Kenneth #315 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Barry was ranked #582 and Kenneth #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Barry was ranked #3254 and Kenneth #968 among boys in England and Wales.
Barry and Kenneth over time
Barry and Kenneth appear together in 4 published lists, across 127 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 Barry 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Barry and Kenneth averaged 11.3 places apart, ending at #97 and #90.
- Longest-running competitions
Barry and Kenneth were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 60 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #582 and #785.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Barry #441 in 1996, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2024
Barry held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Kenneth in 13.
Highest recorded here: Barry #17 in 1985, Kenneth #26 in 1972.
The order changed in 2019: Barry moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #471 and #369; by 2019 that had become #322 and #646.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barry #582, Kenneth #785.
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2024
Barry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kenneth in 28.
Highest recorded here: Barry #441 in 1996, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barry #3254, Kenneth #968.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys21 shared years, 1952–1973
Barry held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Kenneth in 20.
Highest recorded here: Barry #30 in 1952, Kenneth #16 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1973: Barry #97, Kenneth #90.
New Zealand · Boys18 shared years, 1954–1972
Barry held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Kenneth in 2.
Highest recorded here: Barry #24 in 1955, Kenneth #28 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1972: Barry #73, Kenneth #100.
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 | Barry | 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 | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 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); Barry does not have one recorded yet.
- Barry and Kenneth both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kenneth; Barry doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Barry
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #402 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