Basil vs Clifford
Basil and Cliffordcompared 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 1986, Basil was ranked #317 and Clifford #203 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Basil was ranked #1282 and Clifford #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Basil and Clifford over time
Basil and Clifford appear together in 2 published lists, across 35 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Basil and Clifford changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1282 and #4270.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1996–2024
Basil held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Clifford in 4.
Highest recorded here: Basil #1023 in 2021, Clifford #976 in 1996.
The order changed in 2007: Basil moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #1744 and #1744; by 2007 that had become #1578 and #3095.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Basil #1282, Clifford #4270.
Republic of Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 1966–1986
Basil held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Clifford in 7.
Highest recorded here: Basil #185 in 1966, Clifford #176 in 1973.
The order changed in 1973: Clifford moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #230 and #279; by 1973 that had become #320 and #176.
Most recent shared year, 1986: Basil #317, Clifford #203.
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 | Basil | Clifford |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #1282 (2024) | England and Wales · Boys #4270 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Basil and Clifford both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Basil
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #232 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 recorded1964–2020
Highest recorded position: #185 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1964–2020).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1282 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Clifford
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #199 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 recorded1966–1992
Highest recorded position: #142 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1980 (recorded 1966–1992).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys