Benjamin vs Darryl
Benjamin and Darrylcompared 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1975, Benjamin was ranked #28 and Darryl #97 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1971, Benjamin was ranked #36 and Darryl #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Benjamin was ranked #53 and Darryl #4107 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Benjamin was ranked #53 and Darryl #398 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2017, Benjamin was ranked #69 and Darryl #610 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Benjamin and Darryl over time
Benjamin and Darryl appear together in 3 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Benjamin held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Darryl in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Darryl reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Benjamin 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Benjamin and Darryl were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 40 years, from 1966 to 2017, ending at #69 and #610.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1966–2017
Benjamin held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Darryl in 0.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #53 in 2002, Darryl #156 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Benjamin #69, Darryl #610.
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1996–2023
Benjamin held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Darryl in 0.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #6 in 2002, Darryl #335 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Benjamin #53, Darryl #4107.
Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 1997–2014
Benjamin held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Darryl in 0.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #22 in 2002, Darryl #143 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Benjamin #53, Darryl #398.
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 | Benjamin | Darryl |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'son of the right hand', with the underlying literal sense being 'son of the south' (since 'right' indicated the southerly direction in the biblical east-facing orientation convention). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛndʒəmɪn/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4107 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Benjamin has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Darryl does not have one recorded yet.
- Benjamin has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Darryl.
- A meaning is recorded for Benjamin; Darryl doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Benjamin
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1970–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #46 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Darryl
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #90 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1957–1975
Highest recorded position: #58 among boys in New Zealand, in 1963 (recorded 1957–1975).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4107 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys