Namewise

Brent vs Dale

Brent and Dalecompared 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 1991, Brent was ranked #87 and Dale #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2000, Brent was ranked #244 and Dale #189 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Brent was ranked #3684 and Dale #2952 among boys in England and Wales.

Brent and Dale over time

Brent and Dale appear together in 2 published lists, across 36 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

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.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.

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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 1991, Brent moved ahead of Dale in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #78 and #75 the year before became #87 and #100.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Brent and Dale changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1974 and 1991, ending at #87 and #100.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Brent #571 in 1998, Dale #117 in 1996.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Boys25 shared years, 19962025

    Brent held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Dale in 25.

    Highest recorded here: Brent #571 in 1998, Dale #117 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Brent #3684, Dale #2952.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys11 shared years, 19741991

    Brent held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Dale in 3.

    Highest recorded here: Brent #72 in 1983, Dale #75 in 1988.

    The order changed in 1991: Brent moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #78 and #75; by 1991 that had become #87 and #100.

    Most recent shared year, 1991: Brent #87, Dale #100.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Brent, Dale
FieldBrentDale
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables12
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Boys #3684 (2025)England and Wales · Boys #2952 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Brent has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Dale.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR.

How each name got here

Brent

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1954

    First recorded at #67 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New Zealand · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1954–1987

    Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in New Zealand, in 1968 (recorded 1954–1987).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #3684 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Dale

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1957

    First recorded at #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1957–1991

    Highest recorded position: #75 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1988 (recorded 1957–1991).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #2952 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys