Ciaran vs Fergal
Ciaran and Fergalcompared 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 2020, Ciaran was ranked #96 and Fergal #334 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Ciaran was ranked #584 and Fergal #660 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ciaran was ranked #800 and Fergal #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Ciaran and Fergal over time
Ciaran and Fergal appear together in 3 published lists, across 92 years of shared records. Ciaran held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Fergal in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Fergal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Ciaran in 1. 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Ciaran and Fergal were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 55 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #584 and #660.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys55 shared years, 1964–2023
Ciaran held the stronger position in 55 of those years, Fergal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ciaran #23 in 2000, Fergal #46 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ciaran #584, Fergal #660.
England and Wales · Boys22 shared years, 1996–2024
Ciaran held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Fergal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ciaran #107 in 2004, Fergal #1130 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ciaran #800, Fergal #4270.
Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 1997–2020
Ciaran held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Fergal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ciaran #26 in 1998, Fergal #151 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Ciaran #96, Fergal #334.
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 | Fergal |
|---|---|---|
| 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-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4270 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Ciaran has a recorded origin (Irish, from Old Irish ciar ('dark')); Fergal does not have one recorded yet.
- Ciaran and Fergal both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ciaran; Fergal doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Ciaran a "high" Data Confidence level and Fergal 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
Fergal
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #93 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 recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #46 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys