Benedict vs Ray
Benedict and Raycompared 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 2024, Benedict was ranked #472 and Ray #430 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Benedict was ranked #721 and Ray #613 among boys in England and Wales.
Benedict and Ray over time
Benedict and Ray appear together in 2 published lists, across 48 years of shared records. Benedict held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ray in 0.
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.
Benedict reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Ray 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Benedict and Ray changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1967 and 2024, ending at #472 and #430.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Benedict held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Ray in 6.
Highest recorded here: Benedict #165 in 1999, Ray #429 in 2019.
The order changed in 2019: Ray moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #504 and #520; by 2019 that had become #787 and #429.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benedict #721, Ray #613.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 1967–2024
Benedict held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Ray in 6.
Highest recorded here: Benedict #169 in 1967, Ray #251 in 1970.
The order changed in 2024: Ray moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #436 and #770; by 2024 that had become #472 and #430.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benedict #472, Ray #430.
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 | Benedict | Ray |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #472 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Benedict has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Ray.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Benedict
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #155 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 recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #155 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #721 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Ray
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 recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #251 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1967–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys