Darran vs Fergus
Darran and Ferguscompared 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 1998, Darran was ranked #369 and Fergus #203 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2017, Darran was ranked #4812 and Fergus #537 among boys in England and Wales.
Darran and Fergus over time
Darran and Fergus appear together in 2 published lists, across 38 years of shared records. Fergus held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Darran in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Fergus reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Darran 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Darran and Fergus were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 30 years, from 1969 to 1998, ending at #369 and #203.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1969–1998
Darran held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Fergus in 29.
Highest recorded here: Darran #132 in 1983, Fergus #75 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Darran #369, Fergus #203.
England and Wales · Boys8 shared years, 1996–2017
Darran held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Fergus in 8.
Highest recorded here: Darran #1345 in 1997, Fergus #243 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Darran #4812, Fergus #537.
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 | Darran | Fergus |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #4812 (2017) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Darran and Fergus both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Darran
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #291 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 recorded1969–1998
Highest recorded position: #132 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1983 (recorded 1969–1998).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #4812 among boys in England and Wales, in 2017.
England and Wales · Boys
Fergus
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #66 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #66 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys