Clive vs Denis
Clive and Deniscompared 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 Denis #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Clive was ranked #2443 and Denis #434 among boys in England and Wales.
Clive and Denis over time
Clive and Denis appear together in 2 published lists, across 76 years of shared records. Denis held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Clive in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Clive and Denis were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 47 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #829 and #232.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1964–2025
Clive held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Denis in 47.
Highest recorded here: Clive #106 in 1973, Denis #21 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Clive #829, Denis #232.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Clive held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Denis in 28.
Highest recorded here: Clive #788 in 1997, Denis #262 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Clive #2443, Denis #434.
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 | Denis |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| 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
- Clive and Denis both have 2 syllables.
- 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
Denis
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #65 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys