Ben vs Oisin
Ben and Oisincompared 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 2024, Ben was ranked #125 and Oisin #9 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ben was ranked #40 and Oisin #262 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #121 and Oisin #234 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ben was ranked #509 and Oisin #630 among boys in England and Wales.
Ben and Oisin over time
Ben and Oisin appear together in 3 published lists, across 104 years of shared records. Ben held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Oisin in 1.
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.
Ben reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Oisin 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 took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Ben moved into the top 50 at #29 in 2018 as Oisin fell out of it to #247, having been #11 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2012, Oisin moved ahead of Ben in Northern Ireland · Boys — #23 and #25 the year before became #38 and #22.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Ben and Oisin averaged 32.4 places apart, ending at #125 and #9.
- Mirrored each other
Over 47 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Ben rose about as far as Oisin fell — from #283 and #157 in 1978 to #40 and #262 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Ben and Oisin were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 47 years, from 1978 to 2025, ending at #40 and #262.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1978–2025
Ben held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Oisin in 35.
Highest recorded here: Ben #14 in 2005, Oisin #8 in 2016.
The order changed in 2018: Ben moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #32 and #11; by 2018 that had become #29 and #247.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ben #40, Oisin #262.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Oisin in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ben #21 in 2002, Oisin #433 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #509, Oisin #630.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ben held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Oisin in 13.
Highest recorded here: Ben #6 in 2004, Oisin #7 in 2022.
The order changed in 2012: Oisin moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #23 and #25; by 2012 that had become #38 and #22.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ben #125, Oisin #9.
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 | Oisin |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Traditionally interpreted as 'little deer', combining an Old Irish word for deer or stag with a diminutive ending. |
| Origin | Hebrew/Germanic, short form | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛn/ | /oʊˈʃiːn/ |
| 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-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #40 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #262 (2025) |
| 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 Oisin is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Ben has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Oisin.
- Ben's recorded meaning differs from Oisin's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Oisin
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 recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #262 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys