Declan vs Sylvester
Declan and Sylvestercompared 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 1992, Declan was ranked #61 and Sylvester #298 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Declan was ranked #371 and Sylvester #2443 among boys in England and Wales.
Declan and Sylvester over time
Declan and Sylvester appear together in 2 published lists, across 47 years of shared records. Declan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Sylvester in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 1996–2024
Declan held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Sylvester in 0.
Highest recorded here: Declan #69 in 1997, Sylvester #1290 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Declan #371, Sylvester #2443.
Republic of Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 1964–1992
Declan held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Sylvester in 0.
Highest recorded here: Declan #12 in 1971, Sylvester #148 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1992: Declan #61, Sylvester #298.
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 | Sylvester |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2443 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Declan has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Sylvester.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
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
Sylvester
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #181 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 recorded1964–1992
Highest recorded position: #148 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–1992).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2443 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys