Clifford vs Don
Clifford and Doncompared 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 1997, Clifford was ranked #271 and Don #271 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1991, Clifford was ranked #324 and Don #324 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Clifford was ranked #3684 and Don #2440 among boys in England and Wales.
Clifford and Don over time
Clifford and Don appear together in 2 published lists, across 46 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Clifford and Don changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2025, ending at #3684 and #2440.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Clifford and Don averaged 45.9 places apart, ending at #324 and #324.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Clifford #142 in 1980, Don #187 in 1979.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1996–2025
Clifford held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Don in 16.
Highest recorded here: Clifford #976 in 1996, Don #1299 in 2005.
The order changed in 2017: Don moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #2556 and #4810; by 2017 that had become #2512 and #1923.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Clifford #3684, Don #2440.
Republic of Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 1967–1991
Clifford held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Don in 5.
Highest recorded here: Clifford #142 in 1980, Don #187 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Clifford #324, Don #324.
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 | Clifford | Don |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3684 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2440 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Clifford has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Don.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Clifford
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #199 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1966–1992
Highest recorded position: #142 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1980 (recorded 1966–1992).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3684 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Don
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #207 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 recorded1965–2019
Highest recorded position: #187 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1979 (recorded 1965–2019).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2440 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys