Dennis vs Ernest
Dennis and Ernestcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dennis was ranked #453 and Ernest #296 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Dennis was ranked #631 and Ernest #552 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Dennis and Ernest over time
Dennis and Ernest appear together in 2 published lists, across 59 years of shared records. Dennis held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ernest 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.
Dennis reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ernest 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Dennis and Ernest changed places 8 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2021, ending at #631 and #552.
- Longest-running competitions
Dennis and Ernest were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 30 years, from 1964 to 2021, ending at #631 and #552.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Dennis #170 in 1968, Ernest #167 in 1968.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1964–2021
Dennis held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Ernest in 7.
Highest recorded here: Dennis #170 in 1968, Ernest #167 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Dennis #631, Ernest #552.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dennis held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Ernest in 11.
Highest recorded here: Dennis #316 in 2005, Ernest #270 in 2022.
The order changed in 2015: Ernest moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #365 and #397; by 2015 that had become #368 and #313.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dennis #453, Ernest #296.
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 | Dennis | Ernest |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #156 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #296 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dennis and Ernest both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Dennis
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #34 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 recorded1952–1970
Highest recorded position: #34 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1970).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #156 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Ernest
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #181 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 recorded1964–2021
Highest recorded position: #167 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1968 (recorded 1964–2021).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #296 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys