Denis vs Derry
Denis and Derrycompared 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 2016, Denis was ranked #145 and Derry #541 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2022, Denis was ranked #331 and Derry #3048 among boys in England and Wales.
Denis and Derry over time
Denis and Derry appear together in 2 published lists, across 42 years of shared records. Denis held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Derry 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1996–2022
Denis held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Derry in 2.
Highest recorded here: Denis #262 in 2020, Derry #654 in 1996.
The order changed in 1998: Denis moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #1052 and #1010; by 1998 that had become #924 and #1000.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Denis #331, Derry #3048.
Republic of Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 1975–2016
Denis held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Derry in 0.
Highest recorded here: Denis #48 in 1975, Derry #253 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Denis #145, Derry #541.
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 | Derry |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #3048 (2022) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Denis and Derry both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
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
Derry
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #321 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1975–2016
Highest recorded position: #253 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1989 (recorded 1975–2016).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #3048 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022.
England and Wales · Boys