Darren vs Niall
Darren and Niallcompared 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 2024, Darren was ranked #404 and Niall #144 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Darren was ranked #676 and Niall #244 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Darren was ranked #535 and Niall #246 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Darren was ranked #1066 and Niall #745 among boys in England and Wales.
Darren and Niall over time
Darren and Niall appear together in 3 published lists, across 114 years of shared records. Niall held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Darren in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Darren reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Niall 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Darren and Niall changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1966 and 2025, ending at #676 and #244.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 60 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Darren and Niall averaged 45.7 places apart, ending at #676 and #244.
- Longest-running competitions
Darren and Niall were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1066 and #745.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Darren #123 in 1996, Niall #106 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1966–2025
Darren held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Niall in 52.
Highest recorded here: Darren #18 in 1988, Niall #16 in 1991.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Darren #676, Niall #244.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Darren held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niall in 30.
Highest recorded here: Darren #123 in 1996, Niall #106 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Darren #1066, Niall #745.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2024
Darren held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niall in 24.
Highest recorded here: Darren #52 in 1997, Niall #26 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Darren #404, Niall #144.
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 | Darren | Niall |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Exact meaning uncertain — may derive from a rare Irish surname, or be a variant of Darrell. Popularized in the late 1950s by actor Darren McGavin and in the 1960s by the character Darrin Stephens from Bewitched. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Uncertain (possibly Irish surname, or a variant of Darrell) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdæɹ.ən/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #244 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Darren has a recorded origin (Uncertain (possibly Irish surname, or a variant of Darrell)); Niall does not have one recorded yet.
- Darren has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Niall.
- A meaning is recorded for Darren; Niall doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Darren
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #83 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 recorded1960–1989
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1966 (recorded 1960–1989).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1066 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Niall
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #47 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: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1991 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #745 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys