Calum vs Neil
Calum and Neilcompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Calum was ranked #352 and Neil #352 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Calum was ranked #432 and Neil #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Calum was ranked #1675 and Neil #968 among boys in England and Wales.
Calum and Neil over time
Calum and Neil appear together in 3 published lists, across 83 years of shared records. Calum held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Neil 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.
Neil reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Calum 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
Calum and Neil changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2022, ending at #352 and #352.
- Longest-running competitions
Calum and Neil were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 34 years, from 1992 to 2025, ending at #432 and #372.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Calum #91 in 1996, Neil #232 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys34 shared years, 1992–2025
Calum held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Neil in 12.
Highest recorded here: Calum #44 in 2006, Neil #79 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Calum #432, Neil #372.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Calum held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Neil in 5.
Highest recorded here: Calum #91 in 1996, Neil #232 in 1996.
The order changed in 2021: Neil moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #1192 and #1431; by 2021 that had become #1984 and #1078.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Calum #1675, Neil #968.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 1997–2022
Calum held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Neil in 3.
Highest recorded here: Calum #21 in 2006, Neil #84 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Calum #352, Neil #352.
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 | Calum | Neil |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #432 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Calum has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Neil.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Calum
Popularity journey
First recorded1992
First recorded at #298 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1992 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2006 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Neil
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #42 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1979
Highest recorded position: #30 among boys in New Zealand, in 1956 (recorded 1954–1979).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys