Benjamin vs Gearoid
Benjamin and Gearoidcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 1996, Benjamin was ranked #15 and Gearoid #2863 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Benjamin was ranked #50 and Gearoid #741 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Benjamin was ranked #73 and Gearoid #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Benjamin and Gearoid over time
Benjamin and Gearoid appear together in 1 published list, across 55 years of shared records. Benjamin held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Gearoid in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Gearoid reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Benjamin and Gearoid changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2020, ending at #50 and #741.
- Longest-running competitions
Benjamin and Gearoid were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 55 years, from 1964 to 2020, ending at #50 and #741.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys55 shared years, 1964–2020
Benjamin held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Gearoid in 22.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #50 in 2020, Gearoid #100 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Benjamin #50, Gearoid #741.
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 | Gearoid |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #395 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Benjamin has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Gearoid does not have one recorded yet.
- Benjamin has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Gearoid.
- A meaning is recorded for Benjamin; Gearoid doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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
Gearoid
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #164 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 recorded1964–2020
Highest recorded position: #100 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1988 (recorded 1964–2020).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #395 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2023.
Northern Ireland · Boys