Damon vs Rhys
Damon and Rhyscompared 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 1999, Damon was ranked #277 and Rhys #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1976, Damon was ranked #88 and Rhys #85 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Damon was ranked #582 and Rhys #207 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Damon was ranked #619 and Rhys #218 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Damon was ranked #1000 and Rhys #355 among boys in England and Wales.
Damon and Rhys over time
Damon and Rhys appear together in 2 published lists, across 48 years of shared records. Rhys held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Damon 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.
Damon reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Rhys 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Damon held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Rhys in 29.
Highest recorded here: Damon #226 in 1996, Rhys #49 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Damon #1000, Rhys #355.
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 1988–2024
Damon held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Rhys in 18.
Highest recorded here: Damon #271 in 1988, Rhys #65 in 2010.
The order changed in 1992: Rhys moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #271 and #319; by 1992 that had become #337 and #210.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Damon #582, Rhys #207.
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 | Damon | Rhys |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Behind the Name hedges the meaning with 'probably' — possibly derived from a root meaning 'ardour' or 'enthusiasm'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Welsh, from Old Welsh Ris |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /riːs/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #582 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #179 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Rhys has a recorded origin (Welsh, from Old Welsh Ris); Damon does not have one recorded yet.
- Damon has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Rhys.
- A meaning is recorded for Rhys; Damon doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Damon
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #90 among boys in New Zealand in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1974–1976
Highest recorded position: #88 among boys in New Zealand, in 1976 (recorded 1974–1976).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1000 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Rhys
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #85 among boys in New Zealand in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #25 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #179 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys