Cecil vs Dennis
Cecil and Denniscompared 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, Cecil was ranked #271 and Dennis #271 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Cecil was ranked #2813 and Dennis #461 among boys in England and Wales.
Cecil and Dennis over time
Cecil and Dennis appear together in 2 published lists, across 37 years of shared records. Dennis 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.
Cecil reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Dennis 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
Cecil and Dennis changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1965 and 1988, ending at #271 and #271.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys19 shared years, 1996–2023
Cecil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Dennis in 19.
Highest recorded here: Cecil #1889 in 2000, Dennis #316 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Cecil #2813, Dennis #461.
Republic of Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 1965–1988
Cecil held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Dennis in 12.
Highest recorded here: Cecil #181 in 1965, Dennis #170 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1988: Cecil #271, Dennis #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 | Cecil | Dennis |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #2813 (2023) | Norway · Boys #156 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cecil and Dennis both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
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
Dennis
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #34 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 recorded1952–1970
Highest recorded position: #34 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1970).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #156 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys