Dave vs Derek
Dave and Derekcompared 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 2024, Dave was ranked #582 and Derek #472 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dave was ranked #1951 and Derek #1108 among boys in England and Wales.
Dave and Derek over time
Dave and Derek appear together in 2 published lists, across 40 years of shared records. Derek held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dave in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Derek reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Dave 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
Dave and Derek changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #1951 and #1108.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Dave held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Derek in 25.
Highest recorded here: Dave #1188 in 2003, Derek #544 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dave #1951, Derek #1108.
Republic of Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 1982–2024
Dave held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Derek in 12.
Highest recorded here: Dave #303 in 1987, Derek #35 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dave #582, Derek #472.
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 | Dave | Derek |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #582 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #432 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dave and Derek both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Dave
Popularity journey
First recorded1982
First recorded at #330 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1982 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1982–2024
Highest recorded position: #303 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1987 (recorded 1982–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1951 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Derek
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #89 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1972 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys