Colin vs Donnacha
Colin and Donnachacompared 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, Colin was ranked #348 and Donnacha #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Colin was ranked #433 and Donnacha #89 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Colin was ranked #1538 and Donnacha #4275 among boys in England and Wales.
Colin and Donnacha over time
Colin and Donnacha appear together in 3 published lists, across 87 years of shared records. Colin held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Donnacha in 1.
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.
Colin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Donnacha 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2008, Donnacha moved ahead of Colin in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #112 and #117 the year before became #105 and #100.
- Longest-running competitions
Colin and Donnacha were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 61 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #348 and #64.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1965–2025
Colin held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Donnacha in 18.
Highest recorded here: Colin #38 in 1985, Donnacha #46 in 2022.
The order changed in 2008: Donnacha moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #112 and #117; by 2008 that had become #105 and #100.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colin #348, Donnacha #64.
England and Wales · Boys17 shared years, 2007–2025
Colin held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Donnacha in 0.
Highest recorded here: Colin #491 in 2010, Donnacha #1786 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colin #1538, Donnacha #4275.
Northern Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 2009–2021
Colin held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Donnacha in 5.
Highest recorded here: Colin #245 in 2011, Donnacha #89 in 2021.
The order changed in 2013: Donnacha moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #273 and #311; by 2013 that had become #398 and #188.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Colin #433, Donnacha #89.
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 | Colin | Donnacha |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #119 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #64 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Colin has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Donnacha.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Colin
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #326 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1983
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1983).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1538 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Donnacha
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 recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #46 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4275 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys