Dennis vs Leslie
Dennis and Lesliecompared 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 1963, Dennis was ranked #84 and Leslie #93 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1968, Dennis was ranked #96 and Leslie #99 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2003, Dennis was ranked #214 and Leslie #500 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dennis was ranked #453 and Leslie #2263 among boys in England and Wales.
Dennis and Leslie over time
Dennis and Leslie appear together in 4 published lists, across 79 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Leslie reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Dennis 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 Leslie changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1954 and 1963, ending at #84 and #93.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Dennis #34 in 1952, Leslie #37 in 1952.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1996–2024
Dennis held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Leslie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Dennis #316 in 2005, Leslie #552 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dennis #453, Leslie #2263.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1964–2003
Dennis held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Leslie in 17.
Highest recorded here: Dennis #179 in 1971, Leslie #91 in 1964.
The order changed in 1997: Dennis moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #298 and #298; by 1997 that had become #337 and #382.
Most recent shared year, 2003: Dennis #214, Leslie #500.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 1952–1968
Dennis held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Leslie in 13.
Highest recorded here: Dennis #34 in 1952, Leslie #37 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1968: Dennis #96, Leslie #99.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 1954–1963
Dennis held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Leslie in 4.
Highest recorded here: Dennis #46 in 1954, Leslie #52 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1963: Dennis #84, Leslie #93.
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 | Leslie |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #156 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2263 (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 Leslie both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
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
Leslie
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #37 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 recorded1952–1968
Highest recorded position: #37 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1968).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2263 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys