Darrin vs Kenneth
Darrin and Kennethcompared 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 1966, Darrin was ranked #80 and Kenneth #58 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1989, Darrin was ranked #278 and Kenneth #70 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1971, Darrin was ranked #94 and Kenneth #75 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2021, Darrin was ranked #4789 and Kenneth #1078 among boys in England and Wales.
Darrin and Kenneth over time
Darrin and Kenneth appear together in 1 published list, across 9 years of shared records. Kenneth held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Darrin in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Darrin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Kenneth 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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 1969–1989
Darrin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kenneth in 9.
Highest recorded here: Darrin #173 in 1970, Kenneth #26 in 1972.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1989: Darrin #278, Kenneth #70.
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 | Darrin | Kenneth |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed, of Scottish Gaelic origin. Borne by the Scottish king Kenneth mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Scottish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #4789 (2021) | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 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
- Kenneth has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic); Darrin does not have one recorded yet.
- Darrin and Kenneth both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kenneth; Darrin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Darrin
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #68 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1965–1966
Highest recorded position: #58 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1965–1966).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #4789 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021.
England and Wales · Boys
Kenneth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2021
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #968 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys