Ben vs Padhraig
Ben and Padhraigcompared 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 2002, Ben was ranked #8 and Padhraig #281 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1989, Ben was ranked #143 and Padhraig #278 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Ben and Padhraig over time
Ben and Padhraig appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. Ben held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Padhraig in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Padhraig 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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1978–1989
Ben held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Padhraig in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ben #143 in 1989, Padhraig #248 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1989: Ben #143, Padhraig #278.
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 | Padhraig |
|---|---|---|
| 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 #281 (2002) |
| 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); Padhraig does not have one recorded yet.
- Ben has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Padhraig.
- A meaning is recorded for Ben; Padhraig 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
Padhraig
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #265 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1967–1989
Highest recorded position: #248 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1982 (recorded 1967–1989).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent1989
Most recently recorded at #278 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1989.
Republic of Ireland · Boys