David vs Donnacha
David and Donnachacompared 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 2025, David was ranked #45 and Donnacha #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Donnacha #2263 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #104 and Donnacha #93 among boys in Northern Ireland.
David and Donnacha over time
David and Donnacha appear together in 3 published lists, across 93 years of shared records. David held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Donnacha in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Donnacha 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Donnacha moved ahead of David in Northern Ireland · Boys — #83 and #92 the year before became #104 and #93.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Donnacha were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 61 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #45 and #64.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1965–2025
David held the stronger position in 61 of those years, Donnacha in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Donnacha #46 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Donnacha #64.
England and Wales · Boys16 shared years, 2007–2024
David held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Donnacha in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #43 in 2015, Donnacha #1786 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Donnacha #2263.
Northern Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 2009–2024
David held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Donnacha in 2.
Highest recorded here: David #44 in 2009, Donnacha #89 in 2021.
The order changed in 2024: Donnacha moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #83 and #92; by 2024 that had become #104 and #93.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, Donnacha #93.
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 | David | Donnacha |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #64 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- David has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Donnacha does not have one recorded yet.
- David has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Donnacha.
- A meaning is recorded for David; Donnacha doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Donnacha
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #207 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #46 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys