Conor vs Ryan
Conor and Ryancompared 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 1996, Conor was ranked #98 and Ryan #14 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Conor was ranked #16 and Ryan #57 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #51 and Ryan #104 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #181 and Ryan #104 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #422 and Ryan #132 among boys in England and Wales.
Conor and Ryan over time
Conor and Ryan appear together in 3 published lists, across 112 years of shared records. Ryan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Conor 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.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2015, Conor moved ahead of Ryan in Northern Ireland · Boys — #18 and #14 the year before became #17 and #21.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Conor and Ryan averaged 12.1 places apart, ending at #51 and #104.
- Longest-running competitions
Conor and Ryan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 55 years, from 1971 to 2025, ending at #16 and #57.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Conor #57 in 1998, Ryan #7 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys55 shared years, 1971–2025
Conor held the stronger position in 55 of those years, Ryan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Conor #1 in 1995, Ryan #6 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Conor #16, Ryan #57.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Conor held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ryan in 29.
Highest recorded here: Conor #57 in 1998, Ryan #7 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conor #422, Ryan #132.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Conor held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Ryan in 18.
Highest recorded here: Conor #4 in 1997, Ryan #2 in 1997.
The order changed in 2015: Conor moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #18 and #14; by 2015 that had become #17 and #21.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conor #51, Ryan #104.
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 | Ryan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The Anglicized form of Conchobar (Modern Irish Conchúr), from the elements 'cú' ('dog, hound') and 'cobar'. | The Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riain, a patronymic from the given name Rian. The exact meaning of Rian itself remains uncertain, despite a popular but unconfirmed 'little king' gloss. |
| Origin | Irish | Irish (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑn.əɹ/ | /ˈɹaɪ.ən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | 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 #16 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #57 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Irish origin, while Ryan is recorded with a Irish (surname origin) origin.
- Conor has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ryan.
- Conor's recorded meaning differs from Ryan's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Ryan
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #280 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — 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: #2 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #81 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys