Denis vs Gerald
Denis and Geraldcompared 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 Gerald #770 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2011, Denis was ranked #231 and Gerald #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #434 and Gerald #1859 among boys in England and Wales.
Denis and Gerald over time
Denis and Gerald appear together in 2 published lists, across 80 years of shared records. Denis held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Gerald 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.
Gerald reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Denis in none. 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 Gerald were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 51 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #224 and #770.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Denis #21 in 1964, Gerald #57 in 1964.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys51 shared years, 1964–2023
Denis held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Gerald in 0.
Highest recorded here: Denis #21 in 1964, Gerald #57 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Denis #224, Gerald #770.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Gerald in 2.
Highest recorded here: Denis #262 in 2020, Gerald #680 in 1996.
The order changed in 1998: Denis moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #1052 and #874; by 1998 that had become #924 and #1000.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #434, Gerald #1859.
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 | Gerald |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1859 (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 Gerald 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
Gerald
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #90 among boys in New Zealand in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #57 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1859 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys