Denis vs Ricky
Denis and Rickycompared 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 Ricky #660 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2007, Denis was ranked #315 and Ricky #357 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #434 and Ricky #1951 among boys in England and Wales.
Denis and Ricky over time
Denis and Ricky appear together in 2 published lists, across 62 years of shared records. Denis held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ricky 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 1 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 Ricky changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #434 and #1951.
- Longest-running competitions
Denis and Ricky were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 33 years, from 1976 to 2023, ending at #224 and #660.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1976–2023
Denis held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Ricky in 0.
Highest recorded here: Denis #50 in 1976, Ricky #184 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Denis #224, Ricky #660.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Ricky in 9.
Highest recorded here: Denis #262 in 2020, Ricky #146 in 1996.
The order changed in 2010: Denis moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #596 and #581; by 2010 that had become #470 and #1109.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #434, Ricky #1951.
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 | Ricky |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1951 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Denis and Ricky both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, 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
Ricky
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #92 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1959–1986
Highest recorded position: #68 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1959–1986).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1951 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys