Bob vs Brent

Bob and Brentcompared 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 2020, Bob was ranked #2682 and Brent #4608 among boys in England and Wales.

Bob and Brent over time

Bob and Brent appear together in 1 published list, across 22 years of shared records. Brent held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Bob 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.

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
Bob and Brent changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2020, ending at #2682 and #4608.
Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Bob #1485 in 1998, Brent #571 in 1998.

List by list

England and Wales · Boys22 shared years, 1996–2020
Bob held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Brent in 14.
Highest recorded here: Bob #1485 in 1998, Brent #571 in 1998.
The order changed in 2020: Bob moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #3959 and #3412; by 2020 that had become #2682 and #4608.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Bob #2682, Brent #4608.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Brent

Pairs where Brent shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Tony vs Brent
Tony and Brent changed places 13 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1954 and 1987, ending at #58 and #97.
Tony · Brent · 34 shared years, 1954–1987 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 1987 New Zealand ranking
Jason vs Brent
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Jason #1 in 1970, Brent #22 in 1968.
Jason · Brent · 22 shared years, 1966–1987 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1970 New Zealand ranking
Matthew vs Brent
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Matthew #1 in 1984, Brent #72 in 1983.
Matthew · Brent · 16 shared years, 1974–1992 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1984 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Michael vs Brent
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Michael #1 in 1968, Brent #22 in 1968.
Michael · Brent · 34 shared years, 1954–1987 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1968 New Zealand ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Bob, Brent
Field	Bob	Brent
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	1	1
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	GB-ENW, IE	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Boys #770 (2023)	England and Wales · Boys #3449 (2022)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	95/100	94/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	60/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Bob and Brent both have 1 syllable.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.

How each name got here

Bob

Popularity journey

First recorded1996
First recorded at #1765 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 recorded2008–2023
Highest recorded position: #529 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 2008–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4107 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys

Brent

Popularity journey

First recorded1954
First recorded at #67 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1987
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in New Zealand, in 1968 (recorded 1954–1987).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #3449 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022.
England and Wales · Boys