Dave vs Edward
Dave and Edwardcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dave was ranked #1951 and Edward #31 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Dave was ranked #582 and Edward #144 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Dave and Edward over time
Dave and Edward appear together in 2 published lists, across 40 years of shared records. Edward 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Dave held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Edward in 28.
Highest recorded here: Dave #1188 in 2003, Edward #23 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dave #1951, Edward #31.
Republic of Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 1982–2024
Dave held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Edward in 12.
Highest recorded here: Dave #303 in 1987, Edward #44 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dave #582, Edward #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 | Dave | Edward |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #582 (2024) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #75 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dave and Edward 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
Edward
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #324 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #75 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys