David vs Patrick
David and Patrickcompared 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 Patrick #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #104 and Patrick #26 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Patrick #120 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, David was ranked #97 and Patrick #68 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Patrick #125 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, David was ranked #84 and Patrick #93 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #88 and Patrick #327 among boys in Norway.
David and Patrick over time
David and Patrick appear together in 6 published lists, across 318 years of shared records. David held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Patrick in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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, Patrick 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1998, Patrick moved ahead of David in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #30 and #37 the year before became #43 and #33.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
David and Patrick changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #104 and #26.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, David and Patrick averaged 51.3 places apart, ending at #64 and #120.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Patrick were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 65 years, from 1952 to 2018, ending at #97 and #68.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — David #32 in 1996, Patrick #66 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys70 shared years, 1948–2025
David held the stronger position in 70 of those years, Patrick in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, Patrick #67 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, Patrick #327.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys65 shared years, 1952–2018
David held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Patrick in 19.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1961, Patrick #30 in 1994.
The order changed in 1998: Patrick moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #30 and #37; by 1998 that had become #43 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2018: David #97, Patrick #68.
New Zealand · Boys64 shared years, 1954–2020
David held the stronger position in 63 of those years, Patrick in 1.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1960, Patrick #45 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: David #84, Patrick #93.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
David held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Patrick in 30.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Patrick #2 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Patrick #25.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Patrick in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Patrick #66 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Patrick #120.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
David held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Patrick in 21.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, Patrick #18 in 2003.
The order changed in 2008: Patrick moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #29 and #30; by 2008 that had become #48 and #28.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, Patrick #26.
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 | Patrick |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | From Latin Patricius, meaning 'nobleman, patrician'. Adopted by Saint Patrick (originally named Sucat), a Romanized Briton who Christianized Ireland and became its patron saint. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | /ˈpæt.ɹɪk/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Pádraig, Pádraic |
| 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 #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- David is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Patrick is recorded with a Latin origin.
- David and Patrick both have 2 syllables.
- David's recorded meaning differs from Patrick's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives David a "medium" Data Confidence level and Patrick a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Patrick
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #315 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys