Ben vs Iarlaith
Ben and Iarlaithcompared 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 2025, Ben was ranked #40 and Iarlaith #85 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #125 and Iarlaith #136 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Ben and Iarlaith over time
Ben and Iarlaith appear together in 2 published lists, across 33 years of shared records. Ben held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Iarlaith in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ben reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Iarlaith 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
Republic of Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1991–2025
Ben held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Iarlaith in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ben #14 in 2005, Iarlaith #85 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ben #40, Iarlaith #85.
Northern Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 2009–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Iarlaith in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ben #19 in 2009, Iarlaith #136 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #125, Iarlaith #136.
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 | Iarlaith |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #85 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| 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); Iarlaith does not have one recorded yet.
- Ben has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Iarlaith.
- A meaning is recorded for Ben; Iarlaith 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
Iarlaith
Popularity journey
First recorded1991
First recorded at #324 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1991 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1991–2025
Highest recorded position: #85 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1991–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #85 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys