Clifford vs Mervin
Clifford and Mervincompared 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 1980, Clifford was ranked #142 and Mervin #321 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2020, Clifford was ranked #3848 and Mervin #3334 among boys in England and Wales.
Clifford and Mervin over time
Clifford and Mervin appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. Clifford held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Mervin 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.
Mervin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Clifford 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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1969–1980
Clifford held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Mervin in 0.
Highest recorded here: Clifford #142 in 1980, Mervin #218 in 1974.
The order changed in 1975: Clifford moved ahead. In 1974 they stood at #218 and #218; by 1975 that had become #225 and #236.
Most recent shared year, 1980: Clifford #142, Mervin #321.
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 | Mervin |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3684 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #3334 (2020) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Clifford and Mervin both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Mervin
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #291 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–1980
Highest recorded position: #218 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1974 (recorded 1969–1980).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #3334 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020.
England and Wales · Boys