Bill vs Laurence
Bill and Laurencecompared 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 2024, Bill was ranked #2921 and Laurence #389 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Bill was ranked #430 and Laurence #582 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Bill and Laurence over time
Bill and Laurence appear together in 2 published lists, across 63 years of shared records. Laurence held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Bill in 0.
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.
Laurence reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Bill 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
Bill and Laurence changed places 19 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1991 and 2024, ending at #430 and #582.
- Longest-running competitions
Bill and Laurence were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 34 years, from 1991 to 2024, ending at #430 and #582.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Bill #613 in 1997, Laurence #161 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys34 shared years, 1991–2024
Bill held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Laurence in 21.
Highest recorded here: Bill #203 in 1998, Laurence #117 in 1992.
The order changed in 2024: Bill moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #770 and #396; by 2024 that had become #430 and #582.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bill #430, Laurence #582.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Bill held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Laurence in 29.
Highest recorded here: Bill #613 in 1997, Laurence #161 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bill #2921, Laurence #389.
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 | Bill | Laurence |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #389 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Bill has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Laurence.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Bill
Popularity journey
First recorded1991
First recorded at #288 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1991 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1991–2025
Highest recorded position: #203 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1991–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Laurence
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #86 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 recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #47 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1968 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #389 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys