Ben vs Craig
Ben and Craigcompared 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 2015, Ben was ranked #34 and Craig #415 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Ben was ranked #36 and Craig #516 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1991, Ben was ranked #71 and Craig #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1992, Ben was ranked #78 and Craig #90 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #121 and Craig #478 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #509 and Craig #2263 among boys in England and Wales.
Ben and Craig over time
Ben and Craig appear together in 5 published lists, across 118 years of shared records. Ben held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Craig in 2.
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.
Craig reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Ben 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 1990, Ben moved ahead of Craig in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #71 and #61 the year before became #64 and #79.
- Longest-running competitions
Ben and Craig were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 44 years, from 1978 to 2023, ending at #36 and #516.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys44 shared years, 1978–2023
Ben held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Craig in 19.
Highest recorded here: Ben #14 in 2005, Craig #39 in 1990.
The order changed in 1998: Ben moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #59 and #46; by 1998 that had become #48 and #50.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ben #36, Craig #516.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Craig in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ben #21 in 2002, Craig #81 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #509, Craig #2263.
Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 1997–2015
Ben held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Craig in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ben #6 in 2004, Craig #68 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Ben #34, Craig #415.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys16 shared years, 1976–1991
Ben held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Craig in 14.
Highest recorded here: Ben #41 in 1981, Craig #20 in 1977.
The order changed in 1990: Ben moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #71 and #61; by 1990 that had become #64 and #79.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Ben #71, Craig #97.
New Zealand · Boys12 shared years, 1981–1992
Ben held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Craig in 10.
Highest recorded here: Ben #56 in 1990, Craig #28 in 1981.
The order changed in 1992: Ben moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #74 and #62; by 1992 that had become #78 and #90.
Most recent shared year, 1992: Ben #78, Craig #90.
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 | Ben | Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A short form of Benjamin, Benedict and other names beginning with 'Ben'; in Dutch, can also be short for Bernhard. | From the Scottish surname derived from Gaelic 'creag', meaning 'crag, rocks, outcrop' — originally denoting someone who lived near a crag. |
| Origin | Hebrew/Germanic, short form | Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛn/ | /ˈkɹeɪɡ/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #40 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #478 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ben is recorded with a Hebrew/Germanic, short form origin, while Craig is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) origin.
- Ben and Craig both have 1 syllable.
- Ben's recorded meaning differs from Craig's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Ben
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #376 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #40 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Craig
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #79 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1992
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1954–1992).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2263 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys