Breandan vs Fergus
Breandan and Ferguscompared 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 1995, Breandan was ranked #334 and Fergus #184 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2011, Breandan was ranked #375 and Fergus #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Breandan and Fergus over time
Breandan and Fergus appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. Fergus held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Breandan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1978–1995
Breandan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Fergus in 8.
Highest recorded here: Breandan #255 in 1978, Fergus #103 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1995: Breandan #334, Fergus #184.
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 | Breandan | Fergus |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Boys #375 (2011) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Breandan and Fergus both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Breandan
Popularity journey
First recorded1978
First recorded at #255 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1978 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2011
Highest recorded position: #199 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1999 (recorded 1997–2011).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2011
Most recently recorded at #375 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2011.
Northern Ireland · Boys
Fergus
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #66 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #66 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys