Bernard vs Fergal
Bernard and Fergalcompared 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 2014, Bernard was ranked #315 and Fergal #281 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Bernard was ranked #396 and Fergal #660 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Bernard was ranked #613 and Fergal #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Bernard and Fergal over time
Bernard and Fergal appear together in 3 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Bernard held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Fergal in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Bernard reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Fergal in 1. 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
Bernard and Fergal changed places 20 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2023, ending at #396 and #660.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 56 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Bernard and Fergal averaged 52.0 places apart, ending at #396 and #660.
- Longest-running competitions
Bernard and Fergal were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 56 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #396 and #660.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys56 shared years, 1964–2023
Bernard held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Fergal in 17.
Highest recorded here: Bernard #33 in 1964, Fergal #46 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Bernard #396, Fergal #660.
England and Wales · Boys22 shared years, 1996–2024
Bernard held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Fergal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Bernard #613 in 2024, Fergal #1130 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bernard #613, Fergal #4270.
Northern Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 1997–2014
Bernard held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Fergal in 6.
Highest recorded here: Bernard #163 in 1998, Fergal #151 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Bernard #315, Fergal #281.
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 | Bernard | Fergal |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #277 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4270 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Bernard and Fergal both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Bernard
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #84 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #33 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #277 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Fergal
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #93 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 recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #46 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys