Dale vs Leigh
Dale and Leighcompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1983, Dale was ranked #91 and Leigh #92 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2000, Dale was ranked #189 and Leigh #244 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2001, Dale was ranked #3998 and Leigh #444 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Dale was ranked #699 and Leigh #554 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dale was ranked #2671 and Leigh #5119 among boys in England and Wales.
Dale and Leigh over time
Dale and Leigh appear together in 2 published lists, across 60 years of shared records. Dale held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Leigh in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Leigh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Dale 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.
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 Leigh changed places 16 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1973 and 2015, ending at #699 and #554.
- Longest-running competitions
Dale and Leigh were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 36 years, from 1973 to 2015, ending at #699 and #554.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Dale #117 in 1996, Leigh #423 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1973–2015
Dale held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Leigh in 16.
Highest recorded here: Dale #89 in 1994, Leigh #146 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Dale #699, Leigh #554.
England and Wales · Boys24 shared years, 1996–2024
Dale held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Leigh in 0.
Highest recorded here: Dale #117 in 1996, Leigh #423 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dale #2671, Leigh #5119.
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 | Leigh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #2952 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #5119 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 71/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dale has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Leigh.
- 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 recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2952 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Leigh
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1981–1983
Highest recorded position: #92 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1983 (recorded 1981–1983).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5119 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys