Ciaran vs Donall
Ciaran and Donallcompared 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 1997, Ciaran was ranked #25 and Donall #382 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Ciaran was ranked #127 and Donall #418 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Ciaran and Donall over time
Ciaran and Donall appear together in 1 published list, across 22 years of shared records. Ciaran held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Donall in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Donall reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ciaran 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 22 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Ciaran rose about as far as Donall fell — from #51 and #250 in 1965 to #25 and #382 in 1997.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Ciaran #24 in 1991, Donall #215 in 1989.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 1965–1997
Ciaran held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Donall in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ciaran #24 in 1991, Donall #215 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Ciaran #25, Donall #382.
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 | Ciaran | Donall |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The unaccented catalogue spelling of Ciarán, a diminutive of Ciar ('black, dark') — borne by two 6th-century Irish saints, Ciarán the Elder (founder of Saighir) and Ciarán the Younger (founder of Clonmacnoise). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish, from Old Irish ciar ('dark') | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈciə.ɾˠaːnˠ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Ciarán, Kieran, Kieron, Kyran | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #418 (2019) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Ciaran has a recorded origin (Irish, from Old Irish ciar ('dark')); Donall does not have one recorded yet.
- Ciaran and Donall both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ciaran; Donall doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Ciaran a "high" Data Confidence level and Donall a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Ciaran
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #49 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: #23 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Donall
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #250 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 recorded1965–1997
Highest recorded position: #215 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1989 (recorded 1965–1997).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent1997
Most recently recorded at #382 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1997.
Republic of Ireland · Boys