Denis vs Derek
Denis and Derekcompared 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 Zealand · Boys
In 1954, Denis was ranked #82 and Derek #89 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Denis was ranked #232 and Derek #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 1998, Denis was ranked #272 and Derek #272 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #434 and Derek #1108 among boys in England and Wales.
Denis and Derek over time
Denis and Derek appear together in 2 published lists, across 89 years of shared records. Denis held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Derek 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Denis and Derek were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 60 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #232 and #432.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #21 and #30 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 9 places apart; by 2025 they were #232 and #432.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2025
Denis held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Derek in 22.
Highest recorded here: Denis #21 in 1964, Derek #22 in 1972.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Denis #232, Derek #432.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Derek in 3.
Highest recorded here: Denis #262 in 2020, Derek #464 in 1996.
The order changed in 1999: Denis moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #924 and #544; by 1999 that had become #621 and #906.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #434, Derek #1108.
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 | Denis | Derek |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #432 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Denis and Derek both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Denis
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #65 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Derek
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #89 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1972 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys