Craig vs Macdara
Craig and Macdaracompared 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 Macdara #516 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Craig and Macdara over time
Craig and Macdara appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Craig held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Macdara in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Macdara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Craig 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
Republic of Ireland · Boys29 shared years, 1964–2023
Craig held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Macdara in 5.
Highest recorded here: Craig #46 in 1997, Macdara #204 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Craig #516, Macdara #516.
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 | Macdara |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #478 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #432 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Craig has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic (surname origin)); Macdara does not have one recorded yet.
- Craig has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Macdara.
- A meaning is recorded for Craig; Macdara doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in IE.
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
Macdara
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #204 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: #204 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys