Declan vs Owen
Declan and Owencompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2010, Declan was ranked #81 and Owen #92 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Declan was ranked #404 and Owen #95 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Declan was ranked #371 and Owen #155 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Declan was ranked #256 and Owen #216 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Declan was ranked #348 and Owen #317 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Declan and Owen over time
Declan and Owen appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Owen held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Declan in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Declan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Owen 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1998, Owen moved ahead of Declan in England and Wales · Boys — #69 and #74 the year before became #85 and #40.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Declan and Owen averaged 59.7 places apart, ending at #256 and #216.
- Longest-running competitions
Declan and Owen were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #348 and #317.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Declan #66 in 2000, Owen #31 in 2002.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Declan held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Owen in 26.
Highest recorded here: Declan #12 in 1971, Owen #68 in 1978.
The order changed in 1998: Owen moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #81 and #97; by 1998 that had become #98 and #82.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Declan #348, Owen #317.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Declan held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Owen in 27.
Highest recorded here: Declan #66 in 2000, Owen #31 in 2002.
The order changed in 1998: Owen moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #69 and #74; by 1998 that had become #85 and #40.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Declan #371, Owen #155.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Declan held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Owen in 26.
Highest recorded here: Declan #54 in 1997, Owen #46 in 1999.
The order changed in 1998: Owen moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #54 and #78; by 1998 that had become #58 and #56.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Declan #256, Owen #216.
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 | Declan | Owen |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #317 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Declan and Owen both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Declan
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #23 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: #12 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1971 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Owen
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #31 among boys in England and Wales, in 2002 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #317 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys