Daniel vs Paul
Daniel and Paul compared 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 1998, Daniel was ranked #6 and Paul #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1998, Daniel was ranked #7 and Paul #86 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #13 and Paul #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #37 and Paul #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #52 and Paul #290 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #61 and Paul #370 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #62 and Paul #602 among boys in England and Wales.
Daniel and Paul over time
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Daniel and Paul over time
Daniel and Paul appear together in 6 published lists, across 289 years of shared records. Daniel held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Paul in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Paul reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Daniel 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1975, Daniel moved ahead of Paul in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #8 and #7 the year before became #4 and #7.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 46 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Daniel and Paul averaged 40.4 places apart, ending at #6 and #86.
- Longest-running competitions
Daniel and Paul were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #62 and #602.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Daniel #2 in 1996, Paul #72 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys80 shared years, 1945–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Paul in 29.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 1989, Paul #67 in 1946.
The order changed in 1974: Daniel moved ahead. In 1973 they stood at #106 and #104; by 1974 that had become #64 and #105.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #61, Paul #370.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Paul in 26.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 2009, Paul #3 in 1978.
The order changed in 1990: Daniel moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #11 and #8; by 1990 that had become #9 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #13, Paul #286.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys46 shared years, 1952–1998
Daniel held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Paul in 23.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1979, Paul #4 in 1966.
The order changed in 1975: Daniel moved ahead. In 1974 they stood at #8 and #7; by 1975 that had become #4 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Daniel #6, Paul #86.
New Zealand · Boys43 shared years, 1954–1998
Daniel held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Paul in 20.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #1 in 1980, Paul #3 in 1965.
The order changed in 1975: Daniel moved ahead. In 1974 they stood at #8 and #6; by 1975 that had become #6 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Daniel #7, Paul #86.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Paul in 0.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1996, Paul #72 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #62, Paul #602.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Paul in 0.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 2010, Paul #27 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #37, Paul #278.
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 | Daniel | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'God is my judge', referencing the biblical prophet Daniel. | From the Roman name Paulus, meaning 'small' in Latin. Saint Paul, originally named Saul, converted to Christianity and became a key missionary figure, authoring several New Testament epistles. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdænjəl/ | /ˈpɔːl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, New Zealand | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, New Zealand |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #13 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Daniel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Paul is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Daniel has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Paul.
- Daniel's recorded meaning differs from Paul's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Daniel
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #280 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New Zealand, in 1980 (recorded 1954–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #62 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Paul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #73 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #602 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys