Namewise

Bernard vs Keith

Bernard and Keithcompared 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 1965, Bernard was ranked #94 and Keith #81 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 1966, Bernard was ranked #89 and Keith #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2007, Bernard was ranked #276 and Keith #276 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Bernard was ranked #509 and Keith #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Bernard was ranked #613 and Keith #3688 among boys in England and Wales.

Bernard and Keith over time

Bernard and Keith appear together in 5 published lists, across 123 years of shared records. Keith held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Bernard in 2.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Keith reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Bernard 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 Keith changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #613 and #3688.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Bernard and Keith were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 59 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #509 and #577.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Bernard #70 in 1953, Keith #40 in 1952.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys59 shared years, 19642025

    Bernard held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Keith in 42.

    Highest recorded here: Bernard #33 in 1964, Keith #17 in 1975.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Bernard #509, Keith #577.

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 19962024

    Bernard held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Keith in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Bernard #613 in 2024, Keith #379 in 1996.

    The order changed in 2013: Bernard moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #1669 and #1507; by 2013 that had become #954 and #1539.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Bernard #613, Keith #3688.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys15 shared years, 19521966

    Bernard held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Keith in 15.

    Highest recorded here: Bernard #70 in 1953, Keith #40 in 1952.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1966: Bernard #89, Keith #86.

  • New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 19541965

    Bernard held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Keith in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Bernard #79 in 1957, Keith #33 in 1954.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1965: Bernard #94, Keith #81.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 19972007

    Bernard held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Keith in 2.

    Highest recorded here: Bernard #163 in 1998, Keith #143 in 1997.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2007: Bernard #276, Keith #276.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Bernard, Keith
FieldBernardKeith
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables21
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Boys #277 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Bernard has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Keith.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Bernard

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #33 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #277 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys

Keith

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #40 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

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1975 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys