Ben vs Feilim
Ben and Feilimcompared 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 2017, Ben was ranked #32 and Feilim #547 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #125 and Feilim #404 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Ben and Feilim over time
Ben and Feilim appear together in 1 published list, across 12 years of shared records. Ben held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Feilim 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.
Feilim reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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 1984, Ben moved ahead of Feilim in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #288 and #264 the year before became #181 and #318.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 1980–2017
Ben held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Feilim in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ben #24 in 2008, Feilim #264 in 1980.
The order changed in 1984: Ben moved ahead. In 1983 they stood at #288 and #264; by 1984 that had become #181 and #318.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Ben #32, Feilim #547.
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 | Feilim |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Hebrew/Germanic, short form | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛn/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #40 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #404 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ben has a recorded origin (Hebrew/Germanic, short form); Feilim does not have one recorded yet.
- Ben has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Feilim.
- A meaning is recorded for Ben; Feilim doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
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
Feilim
Popularity journey
First recorded1980
First recorded at #264 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1980 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1980–2017
Highest recorded position: #264 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1980 (recorded 1980–2017).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #404 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Boys