Dale vs Ross
Dale and Rosscompared 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 Ross #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2016, Dale was ranked #358 and Ross #216 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Dale was ranked #657 and Ross #293 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dale was ranked #2671 and Ross #3254 among boys in England and Wales.
Dale and Ross over time
Dale and Ross appear together in 4 published lists, across 103 years of shared records. Ross held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Dale 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
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 Ross changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1957 and 1983, ending at #91 and #86.
- Longest-running competitions
Dale and Ross were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 43 years, from 1968 to 2022, ending at #657 and #293.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Dale #117 in 1996, Ross #60 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys43 shared years, 1968–2022
Dale held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ross in 43.
Highest recorded here: Dale #89 in 1994, Ross #39 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Dale #657, Ross #293.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dale held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Ross in 28.
Highest recorded here: Dale #117 in 1996, Ross #60 in 1997.
The order changed in 2024: Dale moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #3523 and #2160; by 2024 that had become #2671 and #3254.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dale #2671, Ross #3254.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys16 shared years, 1957–1983
Dale held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Ross in 13.
Highest recorded here: Dale #76 in 1959, Ross #40 in 1957.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1983: Dale #91, Ross #86.
Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 1997–2016
Dale held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ross in 15.
Highest recorded here: Dale #111 in 1998, Ross #30 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Dale #358, Ross #216.
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 | Ross |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #2671 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #329 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dale has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ross.
- 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
Ross
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #36 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 recorded1954–1985
Highest recorded position: #25 among boys in New Zealand, in 1957 (recorded 1954–1985).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys