Colin vs Laurence
Colin and Laurencecompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1956, Colin was ranked #22 and Laurence #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Colin was ranked #302 and Laurence #582 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Colin was ranked #398 and Laurence #346 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Colin was ranked #1000 and Laurence #389 among boys in England and Wales.
Colin and Laurence over time
Colin and Laurence appear together in 2 published lists, across 90 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.
Laurence reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Colin 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Colin and Laurence were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 61 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #302 and #582.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Colin #311 in 1997, Laurence #161 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1964–2024
Colin held the stronger position in 52 of those years, Laurence in 8.
Highest recorded here: Colin #38 in 1985, Laurence #47 in 1968.
The order changed in 2024: Colin moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #436 and #396; by 2024 that had become #302 and #582.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Colin #302, Laurence #582.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Colin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Laurence in 29.
Highest recorded here: Colin #311 in 1997, Laurence #161 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Colin #1000, Laurence #389.
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 | Laurence |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #119 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #389 (2024) |
| 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 Laurence.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, 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 #119 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Laurence
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #86 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 recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #47 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1968 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #389 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys