Denis vs Saul
Denis and Saulcompared 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 2024, Denis was ranked #195 and Saul #655 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #305 and Saul #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Denis was ranked #434 and Saul #1402 among boys in England and Wales.
Denis and Saul over time
Denis and Saul appear together in 3 published lists, across 69 years of shared records. Denis held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Saul in 1.
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.
Denis reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Saul 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Saul in 14.
Highest recorded here: Denis #262 in 2020, Saul #241 in 2000.
The order changed in 2010: Denis moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #596 and #530; by 2010 that had become #470 and #527.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #434, Saul #1402.
Republic of Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1992–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Saul in 0.
Highest recorded here: Denis #91 in 1992, Saul #249 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #195, Saul #655.
Northern Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 2000–2024
Denis held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Saul in 12.
Highest recorded here: Denis #231 in 2011, Saul #186 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denis #305, Saul #278.
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 | Saul |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #278 (2024) |
| 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 Saul.
- 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
Saul
Popularity journey
First recorded1992
First recorded at #337 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1992 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #186 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1999 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1402 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys