Damien vs Fergal
Damien and Fergalcompared 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 2014, Damien was ranked #315 and Fergal #281 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Damien was ranked #362 and Fergal #660 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Damien was ranked #747 and Fergal #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Damien and Fergal over time
Damien and Fergal appear together in 3 published lists, across 91 years of shared records. Damien held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Fergal in 1.
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.
Fergal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Damien 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
Damien and Fergal changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2014, ending at #315 and #281.
- Longest-running competitions
Damien and Fergal were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 56 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #362 and #660.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Damien #134 in 1999, Fergal #163 in 1998.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys56 shared years, 1964–2023
Damien held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Fergal in 5.
Highest recorded here: Damien #34 in 1982, Fergal #46 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Damien #362, Fergal #660.
England and Wales · Boys22 shared years, 1996–2024
Damien held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Fergal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Damien #280 in 2003, Fergal #1130 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Damien #747, Fergal #4270.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 1997–2014
Damien held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Fergal in 8.
Highest recorded here: Damien #134 in 1999, Fergal #163 in 1998.
The order changed in 2008: Fergal moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #315 and #357; by 2008 that had become #328 and #266.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Damien #315, Fergal #281.
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 | Damien | Fergal |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #468 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4270 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Damien and Fergal both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Damien
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #75 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 recorded1969–1993
Highest recorded position: #34 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1974 (recorded 1969–1993).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Fergal
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #93 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 recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #46 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys