David vs Mark
David and Markcompared 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 2000, David was ranked #29 and Mark #89 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2001, David was ranked #42 and Mark #90 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #45 and Mark #99 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Mark #277 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Mark #169 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #88 and Mark #286 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #104 and Mark #177 among boys in Northern Ireland.
David and Mark over time
David and Mark appear together in 6 published lists, across 289 years of shared records. David held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Mark in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Mark reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, David in 2. 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 50 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, David and Mark averaged 12.0 places apart, ending at #42 and #90.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Mark were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 50 years, from 1952 to 2001, ending at #42 and #90.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — David #32 in 1996, Mark #55 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys74 shared years, 1950–2025
David held the stronger position in 74 of those years, Mark in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, Mark #211 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, Mark #286.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
David held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Mark in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Mark #7 in 1974.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Mark #99.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys50 shared years, 1952–2001
David held the stronger position in 49 of those years, Mark in 1.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1961, Mark #2 in 1960.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2001: David #42, Mark #90.
New Zealand · Boys46 shared years, 1954–2000
David held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Mark in 1.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1960, Mark #2 in 1974.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2000: David #29, Mark #89.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Mark in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Mark #55 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Mark #277.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
David held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Mark in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, Mark #12 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, Mark #177.
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 | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | A form of the Latin name Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark authored the second Gospel and is patron saint of Venice. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | /ˈmɑɹk/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #99 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- David is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Mark is recorded with a Latin origin.
- David has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Mark.
- David's recorded meaning differs from Mark's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Mark
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #362 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2001
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1960 (recorded 1952–2001).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys