Darren vs Richard
Darren and Richardcompared 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 Zealand · Boys
In 1982, Darren was ranked #83 and Richard #12 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1989, Darren was ranked #85 and Richard #56 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Darren was ranked #676 and Richard #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Darren was ranked #274 and Richard #365 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Darren was ranked #1108 and Richard #398 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Darren was ranked #535 and Richard #619 among boys in Scotland.
Darren and Richard over time
Darren and Richard appear together in 5 published lists, across 157 years of shared records. Richard held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Darren in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Richard reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Darren 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Darren and Richard changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2019, ending at #274 and #365.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Darren and Richard averaged 16.7 places apart, ending at #85 and #56.
- Longest-running competitions
Darren and Richard were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 30 years, from 1960 to 1989, ending at #85 and #56.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Darren #123 in 1996, Richard #62 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1966–2025
Darren held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Richard in 33.
Highest recorded here: Darren #18 in 1988, Richard #20 in 1986.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Darren #676, Richard #232.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys30 shared years, 1960–1989
Darren held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Richard in 17.
Highest recorded here: Darren #10 in 1966, Richard #16 in 1960.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1989: Darren #85, Richard #56.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Darren held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Richard in 29.
Highest recorded here: Darren #123 in 1996, Richard #62 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Darren #1108, Richard #398.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 1997–2019
Darren held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Richard in 5.
Highest recorded here: Darren #52 in 1997, Richard #77 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Darren #274, Richard #365.
New Zealand · Boys18 shared years, 1964–1982
Darren held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Richard in 18.
Highest recorded here: Darren #13 in 1965, Richard #9 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1982: Darren #83, Richard #12.
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 | Richard |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | From Old German elements 'rih' (ruler, king) and 'hart' (hard, firm, brave, hardy) — 'brave ruler'. Introduced to England by the Normans in the 11th century. |
| Origin | Uncertain (possibly Irish surname, or a variant of Darrell) | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdæɹ.ən/ | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.əɹd/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Darren is recorded with a Uncertain (possibly Irish surname, or a variant of Darrell) origin, while Richard is recorded with a Germanic origin.
- Darren and Richard both have 2 syllables.
- Darren's recorded meaning differs from Richard's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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 #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Richard
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #219 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1999
Highest recorded position: #9 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1999).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys