Denis vs Philip
Denis and Philipcompared 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 Philip #24 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1955, Denis was ranked #97 and Philip #35 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #423 and Philip #103 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Denis was ranked #232 and Philip #309 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Denis was ranked #311 and Philip #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #434 and Philip #461 among boys in England and Wales.
Denis and Philip over time
Denis and Philip appear together in 4 published lists, across 159 years of shared records. Philip held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Denis 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.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Denis and Philip changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1998 and 2022, ending at #311 and #311.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Denis and Philip averaged 24.6 places apart, ending at #232 and #309.
- Longest-running competitions
Denis and Philip were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 53 years, from 1970 to 2024, ending at #423 and #103.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Denis held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Philip in 40.
Highest recorded here: Denis #21 in 1964, Philip #30 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Denis #232, Philip #309.
Norway · Boys53 shared years, 1970–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Philip in 50.
Highest recorded here: Denis #249 in 1984, Philip #68 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #423, Philip #103.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Philip in 21.
Highest recorded here: Denis #262 in 2020, Philip #103 in 1996.
The order changed in 2017: Denis moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #333 and #322; by 2017 that had become #270 and #414.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #434, Philip #461.
Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 1998–2022
Denis held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Philip in 11.
Highest recorded here: Denis #231 in 2011, Philip #67 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Denis #311, Philip #311.
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 | Philip |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Norway · Boys #91 (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 Philip both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, 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
Philip
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #341 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1992
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New Zealand, in 1963 (recorded 1954–1992).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #91 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys