Craig vs Keanu
Craig and Keanucompared 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 2023, Craig was ranked #516 and Keanu #770 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Craig was ranked #2263 and Keanu #711 among boys in England and Wales.
Craig and Keanu over time
Craig and Keanu appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Craig held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Keanu in 0.
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.
Craig reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Keanu 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Craig held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Keanu in 7.
Highest recorded here: Craig #81 in 1996, Keanu #496 in 2020.
The order changed in 2018: Keanu moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #1124 and #1210; by 2018 that had become #1786 and #731.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Craig #2263, Keanu #711.
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 | Craig | Keanu |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From the Scottish surname derived from Gaelic 'creag', meaning 'crag, rocks, outcrop' — originally denoting someone who lived near a crag. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɹeɪɡ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #478 (2024) | England and Wales · Boys #711 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Craig has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic (surname origin)); Keanu does not have one recorded yet.
- Craig has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Keanu.
- A meaning is recorded for Craig; Keanu doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Craig
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #79 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1992
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1954–1992).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2263 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Keanu
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #505 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #711 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys