Declan vs Philip
Declan and Philipcompared 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 2022, Declan was ranked #234 and Philip #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Declan was ranked #348 and Philip #309 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Declan was ranked #371 and Philip #461 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Declan was ranked #404 and Philip #619 among boys in Scotland.
Declan and Philip over time
Declan and Philip appear together in 3 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Declan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Philip 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.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2005, Philip moved ahead of Declan in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #118 and #125 the year before became #141 and #129.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Declan and Philip changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #371 and #461.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 26 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Declan and Philip averaged 59.9 places apart, ending at #234 and #311.
- Longest-running competitions
Declan and Philip were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #348 and #309.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Declan #54 in 1997, Philip #51 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Declan held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Philip in 40.
Highest recorded here: Declan #12 in 1971, Philip #30 in 1978.
The order changed in 2005: Philip moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #118 and #125; by 2005 that had become #141 and #129.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Declan #348, Philip #309.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Declan held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Philip in 3.
Highest recorded here: Declan #66 in 2000, Philip #103 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Declan #371, Philip #461.
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1997–2022
Declan held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Philip in 4.
Highest recorded here: Declan #54 in 1997, Philip #51 in 1997.
The order changed in 2022: Declan moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #326 and #326; by 2022 that had become #234 and #311.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Declan #234, Philip #311.
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 | Philip |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) | Norway · Boys #91 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Declan and Philip 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
Philip
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #341 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1992
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New Zealand, in 1963 (recorded 1954–1992).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #91 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys