Damian vs Derek
Damian and Derekcompared 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 1998, Damian was ranked #221 and Derek #272 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Damian was ranked #223 and Derek #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Damian was ranked #271 and Derek #1108 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Damian was ranked #432 and Derek #727 among boys in Scotland.
Damian and Derek over time
Damian and Derek appear together in 2 published lists, across 89 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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 1 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Damian and Derek were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 60 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #223 and #432.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2025
Damian held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Derek in 44.
Highest recorded here: Damian #46 in 1969, Derek #22 in 1972.
The order changed in 2008: Damian moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #435 and #271; by 2008 that had become #244 and #267.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Damian #223, Derek #432.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Damian held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Derek in 0.
Highest recorded here: Damian #253 in 2023, Derek #464 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Damian #271, Derek #1108.
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 | Damian | Derek |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #223 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #432 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Damian and Derek both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Damian
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #73 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #46 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #339 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Derek
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #89 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1972 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys