Danny vs Dylan
Danny and Dylancompared 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 1990, Danny was ranked #97 and Dylan #49 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Danny was ranked #514 and Dylan #64 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Danny was ranked #76 and Dylan #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Danny was ranked #78 and Dylan #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Danny was ranked #234 and Dylan #104 among boys in Scotland.
Danny and Dylan over time
Danny and Dylan appear together in 3 published lists, across 104 years of shared records. Dylan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Danny 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.
Dylan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Danny in 1. 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 2024, Danny moved ahead of Dylan in Northern Ireland · Boys — #98 and #98 the year before became #78 and #154.
- Longest-running competitions
Danny and Dylan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 48 years, from 1973 to 2025, ending at #76 and #69.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys48 shared years, 1973–2025
Danny held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Dylan in 48.
Highest recorded here: Danny #41 in 2021, Dylan #7 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Danny #76, Dylan #69.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Danny held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Dylan in 29.
Highest recorded here: Danny #98 in 1996, Dylan #16 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Danny #514, Dylan #64.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024
Danny held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Dylan in 24.
Highest recorded here: Danny #67 in 2015, Dylan #8 in 2004.
The order changed in 2024: Danny moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #98 and #98; by 2024 that had become #78 and #154.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Danny #78, Dylan #154.
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 | Danny | Dylan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally associated with the sea/tide — popularly glossed as 'great tide' or 'born from the sea', reflecting the mythological figure's role. Some scholars theorise the figure may reflect an earlier, otherwise unattested Celtic sea god — treat as a proposed origin, not settled fact. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Welsh |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɪlən/ | |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #76 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #69 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dylan has a recorded origin (Welsh); Danny does not have one recorded yet.
- Danny and Dylan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Dylan; Danny doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Danny
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #95 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2025
Highest recorded position: #41 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 1970–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Dylan
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #246 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1980–2020
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1980–2020).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys