Conor vs Nial
Conor and Nialcompared 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 2005, Conor was ranked #4 and Nial #518 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2001, Conor was ranked #6 and Nial #280 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2020, Conor was ranked #298 and Nial #4608 among boys in England and Wales.
Conor and Nial over time
Conor and Nial appear together in 2 published lists, across 49 years of shared records. Conor held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Nial in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Conor #57 in 1998, Nial #953 in 2000.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys29 shared years, 1964–2005
Conor held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nial in 0.
Highest recorded here: Conor #1 in 1998, Nial #129 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Conor #4, Nial #518.
England and Wales · Boys20 shared years, 1996–2020
Conor held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Nial in 0.
Highest recorded here: Conor #57 in 1998, Nial #953 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Conor #298, Nial #4608.
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 | Conor | Nial |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The Anglicized form of Conchobar (Modern Irish Conchúr), from the elements 'cú' ('dog, hound') and 'cobar'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑn.əɹ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #16 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4608 (2020) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Conor has a recorded origin (Irish); Nial does not have one recorded yet.
- Conor has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Nial.
- A meaning is recorded for Conor; Nial doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Conor
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #56 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: #1 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1995 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Nial
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #129 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 recorded1964–2005
Highest recorded position: #129 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2005).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #4608 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020.
England and Wales · Boys