Namewise

Daire vs Dylan

Daire and Dylancompared 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.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Daire was ranked #48 and Dylan #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2023, Daire was ranked #4991 and Dylan #67 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Daire was ranked #244 and Dylan #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 1996, Daire was ranked #2683 and Dylan #2350 among girls in England and Wales.

Daire and Dylan over time

Daire and Dylan appear together in 3 published lists, across 96 years of shared records. Dylan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Daire 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.

Daire reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Dylan 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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2021, Daire moved ahead of Dylan in Northern Ireland · Boys — #75 and #68 the year before became #53 and #81.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Daire and Dylan changed places 10 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1969 and 2025, ending at #244 and #69.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Daire and Dylan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 55 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #244 and #69.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Daire #88 in 1997, Dylan #7 in 1998.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys55 shared years, 19692025

    Daire held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Dylan in 44.

    Highest recorded here: Daire #88 in 1997, Dylan #7 in 1998.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Daire #244, Dylan #69.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 19972024

    Daire held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Dylan in 23.

    Highest recorded here: Daire #40 in 2018, Dylan #7 in 2001.

    The order changed in 2021: Daire moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #75 and #68; by 2021 that had become #53 and #81.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Daire #48, Dylan #154.

  • England and Wales · Boys13 shared years, 19962023

    Daire held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Dylan in 13.

    Highest recorded here: Daire #2020 in 1996, Dylan #16 in 2010.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Daire #4991, Dylan #67.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Daire, Dylan
FieldDaireDylan
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedTraditionally associated with the sea/tide — popularly glossed as 'great tide' or 'born from the sea', reflecting the mythological figure's role. Some scholars theorise the figure may reflect an earlier, otherwise unattested Celtic sea god — treat as a proposed origin, not settled fact.
OriginNot yet recordedWelsh
PronunciationNot yet recorded/ˈdɪlən/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, IEAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #244 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #69 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Dylan has a recorded origin (Welsh); Daire does not have one recorded yet.
  • Daire and Dylan both have 2 syllables.
  • A meaning is recorded for Dylan; Daire doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Daire

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #191 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

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #40 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2018 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #483 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

Dylan

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1969

    First recorded at #246 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1980–2020

    Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1980–2020).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys