Craig vs Owain
Craig and Owaincompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Craig was ranked #2263 and Owain #1199 among boys in England and Wales.
Craig and Owain over time
Craig and Owain appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Owain held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Craig 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 Owain 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 11 of those years, Owain in 17.
Highest recorded here: Craig #81 in 1996, Owain #220 in 2000.
The order changed in 2013: Owain moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #577 and #606; by 2013 that had become #771 and #611.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Craig #2263, Owain #1199.
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 | Owain |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #478 (2024) | England and Wales · Boys #1199 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| 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)); Owain does not have one recorded yet.
- Craig has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Owain.
- A meaning is recorded for Craig; Owain doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
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
Owain
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #286 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
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #220 among boys in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1199 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys