Darragh vs Michael
Darragh and Michaelcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Darragh was ranked #19 and Michael #22 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Darragh was ranked #51 and Michael #66 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Darragh was ranked #218 and Michael #66 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Darragh was ranked #1402 and Michael #85 among boys in England and Wales.
Darragh and Michael over time
Darragh and Michael appear together in 3 published lists, across 118 years of shared records. Michael held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Darragh 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.
Michael reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Darragh 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 2020, Darragh moved ahead of Michael in Northern Ireland · Boys — #31 and #28 the year before became #22 and #37.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Darragh and Michael averaged 30.3 places apart, ending at #51 and #66.
- Longest-running competitions
Darragh and Michael were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 61 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #19 and #22.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Darragh #522 in 1997, Michael #22 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1965–2025
Darragh held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Michael in 58.
Highest recorded here: Darragh #11 in 2019, Michael #2 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Darragh #19, Michael #22.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Darragh held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Michael in 29.
Highest recorded here: Darragh #522 in 1997, Michael #22 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Darragh #1402, Michael #85.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Darragh held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Michael in 23.
Highest recorded here: Darragh #20 in 2021, Michael #7 in 1997.
The order changed in 2020: Darragh moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #31 and #28; by 2020 that had become #22 and #37.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Darragh #51, Michael #66.
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 | Darragh | Michael |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as a rhetorical question, 'Who is like God?', implying no one compares to God. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈmaɪkəl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #19 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #22 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 74/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Michael has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Darragh does not have one recorded yet.
- Darragh and Michael both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Michael; Darragh doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Darragh
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #11 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2019 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Michael
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #259 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1974 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #62 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys