Connor vs Paul
Connor and Paulcompared 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 Zealand · Boys
In 1998, Connor was ranked #16 and Paul #86 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1998, Connor was ranked #28 and Paul #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Connor was ranked #88 and Paul #290 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Connor was ranked #164 and Paul #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Connor was ranked #264 and Paul #586 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Connor was ranked #829 and Paul #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Connor and Paul over time
Connor and Paul appear together in 3 published lists, across 118 years of shared records. Connor held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Paul in 1.
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.
Paul reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Connor 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 2024, Connor moved ahead of Paul in Northern Ireland · Boys — #249 and #249 the year before became #164 and #278.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Connor and Paul changed places 7 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #164 and #278.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Connor and Paul averaged 36.9 places apart, ending at #164 and #278.
- Longest-running competitions
Connor and Paul were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 61 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #829 and #286.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Connor #11 in 1998, Paul #72 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1965–2025
Connor held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 61.
Highest recorded here: Connor #71 in 1998, Paul #3 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Connor #829, Paul #286.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Connor held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Paul in 0.
Highest recorded here: Connor #11 in 1998, Paul #72 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Connor #264, Paul #586.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Connor held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Paul in 4.
Highest recorded here: Connor #35 in 1998, Paul #27 in 1997.
The order changed in 2024: Connor moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #249 and #249; by 2024 that had become #164 and #278.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Connor #164, Paul #278.
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 | Connor | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the Roman name Paulus, meaning 'small' in Latin. Saint Paul, originally named Saul, converted to Christianity and became a key missionary figure, authoring several New Testament epistles. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈpɔːl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Paul has a recorded origin (Latin); Connor does not have one recorded yet.
- Connor has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Paul.
- A meaning is recorded for Paul; Connor doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Connor
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #170 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 recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #11 among boys in England and Wales, in 1998 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Paul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #73 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys