Billy-Ray vs Shannon
Billy-Ray and Shannoncompared 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 2019, Billy-Ray was ranked #3013 and Shannon #4702 among boys in England and Wales.
Billy-Ray and Shannon over time
Billy-Ray and Shannon appear together in 1 published list, across 11 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
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
Billy-Ray and Shannon changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2019, ending at #3013 and #4702.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Billy-Ray #1591 in 1996, Shannon #1168 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys11 shared years, 1996–2019
Billy-Ray held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Shannon in 4.
Highest recorded here: Billy-Ray #1591 in 1996, Shannon #1168 in 1996.
The order changed in 2017: Billy-Ray moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #4685 and #3822; by 2017 that had become #3996 and #4812.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Billy-Ray #3013, Shannon #4702.
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 | Billy-Ray | Shannon |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #5119 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Billy-Ray has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Shannon.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
How each name got here
Billy-Ray
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1591 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1591 among boys in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5119 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Shannon
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #69 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls