Denis vs Nial
Denis and Nialcompared 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 2005, Denis was ranked #145 and Nial #518 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2020, Denis was ranked #262 and Nial #4608 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2000, Denis was ranked #277 and Nial #277 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Denis and Nial over time
Denis and Nial appear together in 2 published lists, across 49 years of shared records. Denis held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Nial in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Nial 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Denis #21 in 1964, Nial #129 in 1964.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys29 shared years, 1964–2005
Denis held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nial in 0.
Highest recorded here: Denis #21 in 1964, Nial #129 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Denis #145, Nial #518.
England and Wales · Boys20 shared years, 1996–2020
Denis held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Nial in 0.
Highest recorded here: Denis #262 in 2020, Nial #953 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Denis #262, Nial #4608.
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 | Nial |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4608 (2020) |
| 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 Nial.
- 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
Nial
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #129 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 recorded1964–2005
Highest recorded position: #129 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2005).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #4608 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020.
England and Wales · Boys