Denis vs Gavin
Denis and Gavincompared 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 Gavin #70 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Denis was ranked #232 and Gavin #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Denis was ranked #334 and Gavin #270 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #434 and Gavin #898 among boys in England and Wales.
Denis and Gavin over time
Denis and Gavin appear together in 3 published lists, across 103 years of shared records. Gavin held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Denis in 1.
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.
Gavin 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Denis and Gavin changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1998 and 2020, ending at #334 and #270.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Denis and Gavin averaged 59.0 places apart, ending at #232 and #348.
- Longest-running competitions
Denis and Gavin were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #232 and #348.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Denis held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Gavin in 37.
Highest recorded here: Denis #21 in 1964, Gavin #32 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Denis #232, Gavin #348.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Gavin in 10.
Highest recorded here: Denis #262 in 2020, Gavin #185 in 1996.
The order changed in 2006: Denis moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #506 and #502; by 2006 that had become #443 and #653.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #434, Gavin #898.
Northern Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 1998–2020
Denis held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Gavin in 8.
Highest recorded here: Denis #231 in 2011, Gavin #111 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Denis #334, Gavin #270.
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 | Gavin |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (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 Gavin both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, 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
Gavin
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #70 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: #32 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1994 (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