Denis vs Kealan
Denis and Kealancompared 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 2025, Denis was ranked #232 and Kealan #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2017, Denis was ranked #318 and Kealan #250 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #434 and Kealan #3688 among boys in England and Wales.
Denis and Kealan over time
Denis and Kealan appear together in 3 published lists, across 85 years of shared records. Denis held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kealan in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Kealan 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 Kealan changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1998 and 2017, ending at #318 and #250.
- Longest-running competitions
Denis and Kealan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 46 years, from 1976 to 2025, ending at #232 and #509.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys46 shared years, 1976–2025
Denis held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Kealan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Denis #50 in 1976, Kealan #168 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Denis #232, Kealan #509.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Kealan in 1.
Highest recorded here: Denis #262 in 2020, Kealan #845 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #434, Kealan #3688.
Northern Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 1998–2017
Denis held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Kealan in 5.
Highest recorded here: Denis #231 in 2011, Kealan #190 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Denis #318, Kealan #250.
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 | Kealan |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) |
| 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 Kealan 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
Kealan
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #316 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1976–2025
Highest recorded position: #168 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1976–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys