Conan vs Derek
Conan and Derekcompared 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 1998, Conan was ranked #150 and Derek #272 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Conan was ranked #232 and Derek #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Conan was ranked #352 and Derek #727 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Conan was ranked #1025 and Derek #1108 among boys in England and Wales.
Conan and Derek over time
Conan and Derek appear together in 2 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Derek held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Conan in 0.
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.
Derek 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
Conan and Derek changed places 9 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1025 and #1108.
- Longest-running competitions
Conan and Derek were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 52 years, from 1967 to 2025, ending at #232 and #432.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Conan #924 in 1998, Derek #464 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys52 shared years, 1967–2025
Conan held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Derek in 32.
Highest recorded here: Conan #185 in 1985, Derek #22 in 1972.
The order changed in 2009: Conan moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #267 and #267; by 2009 that had become #220 and #429.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Conan #232, Derek #432.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Conan held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Derek in 15.
Highest recorded here: Conan #924 in 1998, Derek #464 in 1996.
The order changed in 2018: Conan moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #1210 and #1210; by 2018 that had become #1284 and #1533.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conan #1025, Derek #1108.
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 | Conan | Derek |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #432 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Conan has a recorded origin (Irish); Derek does not have one recorded yet.
- Conan and Derek both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Conan; Derek doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
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
Derek
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #89 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1972 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys