Bobby vs Shawn
Bobby and Shawncompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2012, Bobby was ranked #63 and Shawn #500 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Bobby was ranked #82 and Shawn #2921 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Bobby was ranked #246 and Shawn #727 among boys in Scotland.
Bobby and Shawn over time
Bobby and Shawn appear together in 2 published lists, across 41 years of shared records. Bobby held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Shawn 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.
Shawn reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Bobby 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Bobby held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Shawn in 0.
Highest recorded here: Bobby #57 in 2012, Shawn #406 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bobby #82, Shawn #2921.
Republic of Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 1996–2012
Bobby held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Shawn in 1.
Highest recorded here: Bobby #63 in 2011, Shawn #290 in 1999.
The order changed in 2001: Bobby moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #290 and #290; by 2001 that had become #251 and #347.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Bobby #63, Shawn #500.
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 | Bobby | Shawn |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #30 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #727 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Bobby has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shawn.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Bobby
Popularity journey
First recorded1980
First recorded at #321 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1980 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1980–2025
Highest recorded position: #27 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 1980–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #30 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Shawn
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #406 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 recorded1996–2012
Highest recorded position: #290 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1999 (recorded 1996–2012).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2921 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys