Barry vs Ronan
Barry and Ronancompared 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 2022, Barry was ranked #414 and Ronan #23 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Barry was ranked #402 and Ronan #86 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Barry was ranked #3254 and Ronan #268 among boys in England and Wales.
Barry and Ronan over time
Barry and Ronan appear together in 3 published lists, across 111 years of shared records. Ronan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Barry in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Barry reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Ronan in 1. 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Barry and Ronan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #402 and #86.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #69 and #67 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 2 places apart; by 2025 they were #402 and #86.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Barry held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Ronan in 39.
Highest recorded here: Barry #17 in 1985, Ronan #31 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Barry #402, Ronan #86.
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2024
Barry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ronan in 28.
Highest recorded here: Barry #441 in 1996, Ronan #139 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barry #3254, Ronan #268.
Northern Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 1997–2022
Barry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ronan in 21.
Highest recorded here: Barry #90 in 1997, Ronan #22 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Barry #414, Ronan #23.
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 | Ronan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally interpreted as 'little seal'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹoʊnən/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #86 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ronan has a recorded origin (Irish); Barry does not have one recorded yet.
- Barry and Ronan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ronan; Barry doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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
Ronan
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #67 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 recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2019 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #86 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys