Cyril vs Eric
Cyril and Ericcompared 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 2012, Cyril was ranked #718 and Eric #116 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cyril was ranked #1951 and Eric #162 among boys in England and Wales.
Cyril and Eric over time
Cyril and Eric appear together in 2 published lists, across 57 years of shared records. Eric held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cyril in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Cyril reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Eric 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, 1964–2012
Cyril held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Eric in 27.
Highest recorded here: Cyril #91 in 1966, Eric #68 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Cyril #718, Eric #116.
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2024
Cyril held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Eric in 28.
Highest recorded here: Cyril #1457 in 2008, Eric #124 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cyril #1951, Eric #162.
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 | Cyril | Eric |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | ||
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #1951 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #211 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cyril and Eric both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Cyril
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #116 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 recorded1964–2012
Highest recorded position: #91 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1964–2012).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1951 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Eric
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #314 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #62 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1996 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #399 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys