David vs Shay
David and Shaycompared 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 Shay #52 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Shay #389 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Shay #155 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #104 and Shay #177 among boys in Northern Ireland.
David and Shay over time
David and Shay appear together in 3 published lists, across 96 years of shared records. David held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Shay in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Shay 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.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Shay were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 39 years, from 1972 to 2025, ending at #45 and #52.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys39 shared years, 1972–2025
David held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Shay in 1.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Shay #39 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Shay #52.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Shay in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Shay #156 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Shay #389.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
David held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Shay in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, Shay #93 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, Shay #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 | Shay |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| 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, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #52 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Shay does not have one recorded yet.
- David has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shay.
- A meaning is recorded for David; Shay doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Shay
Popularity journey
First recorded1972
First recorded at #279 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 recorded1972–2025
Highest recorded position: #39 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 1972–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys