Conor vs Shane
Conor and Shanecompared 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 2025, Conor was ranked #16 and Shane #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #51 and Shane #216 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1996, Conor was ranked #98 and Shane #89 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #181 and Shane #478 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Conor was ranked #422 and Shane #857 among boys in England and Wales.
Conor and Shane over time
Conor and Shane appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Conor held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Shane in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Conor reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Shane 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Conor and Shane changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #422 and #857.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Conor and Shane averaged 31.7 places apart, ending at #16 and #152.
- Mirrored each other
Over 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Conor rose about as far as Shane fell — from #56 and #75 in 1964 to #16 and #152 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Conor and Shane were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #16 and #152.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Conor #57 in 1998, Shane #74 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Conor held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Shane in 23.
Highest recorded here: Conor #1 in 1995, Shane #3 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Conor #16, Shane #152.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Conor held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Shane in 2.
Highest recorded here: Conor #57 in 1998, Shane #74 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conor #422, Shane #857.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Conor held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Shane in 0.
Highest recorded here: Conor #4 in 1997, Shane #41 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conor #51, Shane #216.
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 | Shane |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | An Anglicized form of Seán, ultimately from Hebrew elements meaning 'Yahweh' and 'gracious' — the same root tradition as John. Popularised in America by the 1953 western film Shane. |
| Origin | Irish | Hebrew, via Irish Seán |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɑn.əɹ/ | /ˈʃeɪn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Seán, Sean, Shaun, Shawn |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #16 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #152 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Conor is recorded with a Irish origin, while Shane is recorded with a Hebrew, via Irish Seán origin.
- Conor and Shane both have 2 syllables.
- Conor's recorded meaning differs from Shane's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Conor a "medium" Data Confidence level and Shane a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Shane
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #72 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1996 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys