Basil vs Darrel
Basil and Darrelcompared 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 Darrel #317 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2011, Basil was ranked #1688 and Darrel #4647 among boys in England and Wales.
Basil and Darrel over time
Basil and Darrel appear together in 1 published list, across 15 years of shared records. Basil held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Darrel in 0.
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.
Darrel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Basil 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys15 shared years, 1996–2011
Basil held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Darrel in 3.
Highest recorded here: Basil #1188 in 2003, Darrel #853 in 1996.
The order changed in 2001: Basil moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #2501 and #2501; by 2001 that had become #1467 and #2587.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Basil #1688, Darrel #4647.
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 | Darrel |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #1282 (2024) | England and Wales · Boys #4647 (2011) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Basil and Darrel 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
Darrel
Popularity journey
First recorded1986
First recorded at #317 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1986 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1986–1996
Highest recorded position: #317 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1986 (recorded 1986–1996).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2011
Most recently recorded at #4647 among boys in England and Wales, in 2011.
England and Wales · Boys