Denis vs Fergal
Denis and Fergalcompared 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 2023, Denis was ranked #224 and Fergal #660 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Denis was ranked #334 and Fergal #334 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #434 and Fergal #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Denis and Fergal over time
Denis and Fergal appear together in 3 published lists, across 86 years of shared records. Denis held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Fergal in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Fergal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Denis in 1. 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Denis and Fergal were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 56 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #224 and #660.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys56 shared years, 1964–2023
Denis held the stronger position in 56 of those years, Fergal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Denis #21 in 1964, Fergal #46 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Denis #224, Fergal #660.
England and Wales · Boys22 shared years, 1996–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Fergal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Denis #262 in 2020, Fergal #1130 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #434, Fergal #4270.
Northern Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1998–2020
Denis held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Fergal in 4.
Highest recorded here: Denis #235 in 2004, Fergal #163 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Denis #334, Fergal #334.
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 | Fergal |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4270 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Denis and Fergal both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Fergal
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #93 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 recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #46 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys