Clive vs Conan
Clive and Conancompared 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 2025, Clive was ranked #829 and Conan #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Clive was ranked #2443 and Conan #1025 among boys in England and Wales.
Clive and Conan over time
Clive and Conan appear together in 2 published lists, across 68 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Clive reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Conan 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
Clive and Conan changed places 9 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #2443 and #1025.
- Longest-running competitions
Clive and Conan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 39 years, from 1967 to 2025, ending at #829 and #232.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Clive #788 in 1997, Conan #924 in 1998.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys39 shared years, 1967–2025
Clive held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Conan in 15.
Highest recorded here: Clive #106 in 1973, Conan #185 in 1985.
The order changed in 1996: Conan moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #241 and #334; by 1996 that had become #234 and #223.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Clive #829, Conan #232.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Clive held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Conan in 21.
Highest recorded here: Clive #788 in 1997, Conan #924 in 1998.
The order changed in 2011: Conan moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #2036 and #3332; by 2011 that had become #3830 and #1342.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Clive #2443, Conan #1025.
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 | Clive | Conan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Combines the Irish 'cú' (wolf, hound) with a diminutive suffix, giving 'little wolf' or 'little hound'. Borne by several early Irish saints and a companion of Fionn mac Cumhaill in legend. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Conan has a recorded origin (Irish); Clive does not have one recorded yet.
- Clive and Conan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Conan; Clive doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Clive
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #147 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: #106 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1973 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Conan
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #245 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #24 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys