Brendan vs Pol
Brendan and Polcompared 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 1990, Brendan was ranked #50 and Pol #323 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Brendan was ranked #433 and Pol #374 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Brendan was ranked #1402 and Pol #5119 among boys in England and Wales.
Brendan and Pol over time
Brendan and Pol appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. Brendan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Pol 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.
Brendan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Pol 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
Northern Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1999–2021
Brendan held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Pol in 1.
Highest recorded here: Brendan #87 in 1999, Pol #189 in 2000.
The order changed in 2021: Pol moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #213 and #392; by 2021 that had become #433 and #374.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Brendan #433, Pol #374.
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 | Pol |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #5119 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Brendan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Pol.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Pol
Popularity journey
First recorded1984
First recorded at #318 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1984 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2021
Highest recorded position: #189 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1999–2021).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5119 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys