Dale vs Denis
Dale and Deniscompared 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 2022, Dale was ranked #657 and Denis #178 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2011, Dale was ranked #375 and Denis #231 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dale was ranked #2671 and Denis #434 among boys in England and Wales.
Dale and Denis over time
Dale and Denis appear together in 3 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Denis held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dale in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Dale reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Denis 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Dale and Denis changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1968 and 2022, ending at #657 and #178.
- Longest-running competitions
Dale and Denis were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 43 years, from 1968 to 2022, ending at #657 and #178.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys43 shared years, 1968–2022
Dale held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Denis in 41.
Highest recorded here: Dale #89 in 1994, Denis #27 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Dale #657, Denis #178.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dale held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Denis in 20.
Highest recorded here: Dale #117 in 1996, Denis #262 in 2020.
The order changed in 2005: Denis moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #500 and #599; by 2005 that had become #691 and #506.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dale #2671, Denis #434.
Northern Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 1998–2011
Dale held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Denis in 2.
Highest recorded here: Dale #111 in 1998, Denis #231 in 2011.
The order changed in 2011: Denis moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #267 and #339; by 2011 that had become #375 and #231.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Dale #375, Denis #231.
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 | Dale | Denis |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #2671 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dale and Denis both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Dale
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1957–1991
Highest recorded position: #75 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1988 (recorded 1957–1991).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2671 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Denis
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #65 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys