Brendan vs Cecil
Brendan and Cecilcompared 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 1988, Brendan was ranked #39 and Cecil #271 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Brendan was ranked #1701 and Cecil #2813 among boys in England and Wales.
Brendan and Cecil over time
Brendan and Cecil appear together in 2 published lists, across 37 years of shared records. Brendan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cecil 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.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Brendan #166 in 2000, Cecil #1889 in 2000.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys19 shared years, 1996–2023
Brendan held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Cecil in 0.
Highest recorded here: Brendan #166 in 2000, Cecil #1889 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Brendan #1701, Cecil #2813.
Republic of Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 1965–1988
Brendan held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Cecil in 0.
Highest recorded here: Brendan #16 in 1965, Cecil #181 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1988: Brendan #39, Cecil #271.
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 | Brendan | Cecil |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2813 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Brendan and Cecil both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Brendan
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #17 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: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Cecil
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #181 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–1988
Highest recorded position: #181 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1965–1988).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #2813 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys