Dean vs Niall
Dean and Niallcompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Dean was ranked #348 and Niall #189 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Dean was ranked #432 and Niall #244 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Dean was ranked #727 and Niall #246 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dean was ranked #651 and Niall #613 among boys in England and Wales.
Dean and Niall over time
Dean and Niall appear together in 3 published lists, across 113 years of shared records. Niall held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Dean 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Dean and Niall changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #651 and #613.
- Longest-running competitions
Dean and Niall were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 60 years, from 1966 to 2025, ending at #432 and #244.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Dean #80 in 1996, Niall #106 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1966–2025
Dean held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Niall in 53.
Highest recorded here: Dean #24 in 1993, Niall #16 in 1991.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dean #432, Niall #244.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dean held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Niall in 22.
Highest recorded here: Dean #80 in 1996, Niall #106 in 1996.
The order changed in 2023: Niall moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #585 and #592; by 2023 that had become #728 and #625.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dean #651, Niall #613.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2023
Dean held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niall in 24.
Highest recorded here: Dean #45 in 1997, Niall #26 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Dean #348, Niall #189.
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 | Dean | Niall |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #432 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #244 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dean and Niall both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Dean
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #95 among boys in New Zealand in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1956–1991
Highest recorded position: #13 among boys in New Zealand, in 1967 (recorded 1956–1991).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Niall
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #47 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1991 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #244 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys