Denis vs Kian
Denis and Kiancompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #423 and Kian #164 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Denis was ranked #232 and Kian #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #434 and Kian #204 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #305 and Kian #339 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Denis and Kian over time
Denis and Kian appear together in 4 published lists, across 110 years of shared records. Kian held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Denis in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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 2 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.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2023, Kian moved ahead of Denis in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #178 and #214 the year before became #224 and #193.
- Longest-running competitions
Denis and Kian were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 41 years, from 1981 to 2025, ending at #232 and #170.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1981–2025
Denis held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Kian in 19.
Highest recorded here: Denis #54 in 1984, Kian #63 in 2001.
The order changed in 2023: Kian moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #178 and #214; by 2023 that had become #224 and #193.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Denis #232, Kian #170.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kian in 29.
Highest recorded here: Denis #262 in 2020, Kian #54 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #434, Kian #204.
Norway · Boys24 shared years, 1987–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Kian in 16.
Highest recorded here: Denis #302 in 2005, Kian #164 in 2024.
The order changed in 2008: Kian moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #413 and #556; by 2008 that had become #378 and #280.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #423, Kian #164.
Northern Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 2000–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Kian in 15.
Highest recorded here: Denis #231 in 2011, Kian #112 in 2004.
The order changed in 2024: Denis moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #395 and #348; by 2024 that had become #305 and #339.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #305, Kian #339.
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 | Kian |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Norway · Boys #162 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Denis has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kian.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
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
Kian
Popularity journey
First recorded1981
First recorded at #322 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1981 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #54 among boys in England and Wales, in 2014 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #162 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys