Brendan vs Declan
Brendan and Declancompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2004, Brendan was ranked #92 and Declan #82 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Brendan was ranked #404 and Declan #256 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Brendan was ranked #402 and Declan #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Brendan was ranked #1402 and Declan #371 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Brendan was ranked #619 and Declan #404 among boys in Scotland.
Brendan and Declan over time
Brendan and Declan appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Declan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Brendan in 1.
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.
Brendan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Declan 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.
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
Brendan and Declan changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #404 and #256.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Brendan and Declan averaged 44.9 places apart, ending at #404 and #256.
- Longest-running competitions
Brendan and Declan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #402 and #348.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Brendan #157 in 1998, Declan #66 in 2000.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Brendan held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Declan in 10.
Highest recorded here: Brendan #16 in 1965, Declan #12 in 1971.
The order changed in 2024: Declan moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #288 and #436; by 2024 that had become #394 and #374.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Brendan #402, Declan #348.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Brendan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Declan in 29.
Highest recorded here: Brendan #157 in 1998, Declan #66 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Brendan #1402, Declan #371.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Brendan held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Declan in 21.
Highest recorded here: Brendan #73 in 1997, Declan #54 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Brendan #404, Declan #256.
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 | Declan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Brendan and Declan both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Declan
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #23 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: #12 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1971 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys