David vs Pearce
David and Pearcecompared 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 2015, David was ranked #23 and Pearce #699 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2016, David was ranked #43 and Pearce #4810 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2012, David was ranked #53 and Pearce #273 among boys in Northern Ireland.
David and Pearce over time
David and Pearce appear together in 3 published lists, across 47 years of shared records. David held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Pearce in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Pearce 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — David #32 in 1996, Pearce #784 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys20 shared years, 1996–2016
David held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Pearce in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Pearce #784 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: David #43, Pearce #4810.
Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 1997–2012
David held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Pearce in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, Pearce #190 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: David #53, Pearce #273.
Republic of Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 1972–2015
David held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Pearce in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1993, Pearce #302 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: David #23, Pearce #699.
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 | Pearce |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| 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) | England and Wales · Boys #4810 (2016) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- David has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Pearce does not have one recorded yet.
- David and Pearce both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for David; Pearce 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
Pearce
Popularity journey
First recorded1972
First recorded at #307 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1972 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2012
Highest recorded position: #190 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1997–2012).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2016
Most recently recorded at #4810 among boys in England and Wales, in 2016.
England and Wales · Boys