Colm vs Niall
Colm and Niallcompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Colm was ranked #433 and Niall #120 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Colm was ranked #286 and Niall #244 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Colm was ranked #5119 and Niall #613 among boys in England and Wales.
Colm and Niall over time
Colm and Niall appear together in 3 published lists, across 110 years of shared records. Niall held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Colm 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.
Colm reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Niall in 1. 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 1968, Niall moved ahead of Colm in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #39 and #40 the year before became #40 and #35.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Colm and Niall averaged 29.8 places apart, ending at #286 and #244.
- Longest-running competitions
Colm and Niall were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #286 and #244.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Colm #567 in 1997, Niall #106 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Colm held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Niall in 59.
Highest recorded here: Colm #32 in 1970, Niall #16 in 1991.
The order changed in 1968: Niall moved ahead. In 1967 they stood at #39 and #40; by 1968 that had become #40 and #35.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colm #286, Niall #244.
England and Wales · Boys25 shared years, 1996–2024
Colm held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niall in 25.
Highest recorded here: Colm #567 in 1997, Niall #106 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Colm #5119, Niall #613.
Northern Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 1997–2021
Colm held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niall in 23.
Highest recorded here: Colm #96 in 1997, Niall #26 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Colm #433, Niall #120.
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 | Colm | Niall |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #244 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Colm and Niall both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Colm
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #45 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: #32 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Niall
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #47 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: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1991 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #244 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys