Namewise

Dennis vs Rodney

Dennis and Rodneycompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 1970, Dennis was ranked #100 and Rodney #26 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 1965, Dennis was ranked #98 and Rodney #75 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 1984, Dennis was ranked #187 and Rodney #274 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Dennis was ranked #453 and Rodney #2671 among boys in England and Wales.

Dennis and Rodney over time

Dennis and Rodney appear together in 4 published lists, across 77 years of shared records. Dennis held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Rodney in 1.

The order between them changed and held in 2 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 3 of those lists, Rodney 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.

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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 1953, Rodney moved ahead of Dennis in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #34 and #38 the year before became #41 and #39.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Dennis and Rodney changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 1984, ending at #187 and #274.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 20 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Dennis and Rodney averaged 55.1 places apart, ending at #187 and #274.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 19962024

    Dennis held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Rodney in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Dennis #316 in 2005, Rodney #1055 in 1998.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Dennis #453, Rodney #2671.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 19641984

    Dennis held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Rodney in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Dennis #170 in 1968, Rodney #135 in 1972.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1984: Dennis #187, Rodney #274.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys19 shared years, 19521970

    Dennis held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Rodney in 18.

    Highest recorded here: Dennis #34 in 1952, Rodney #17 in 1966.

    The order changed in 1953: Rodney moved ahead. In 1952 they stood at #34 and #38; by 1953 that had become #41 and #39.

    Most recent shared year, 1970: Dennis #100, Rodney #26.

  • New Zealand · Boys11 shared years, 19541965

    Dennis held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Rodney in 3.

    Highest recorded here: Dennis #46 in 1954, Rodney #69 in 1960.

    The order changed in 1965: Rodney moved ahead. In 1964 they stood at #84 and #85; by 1965 that had become #98 and #75.

    Most recent shared year, 1965: Dennis #98, Rodney #75.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Dennis, Rodney
FieldDennisRodney
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Pronunciation
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Boys #156 (2025)England and Wales · Boys #2671 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Dennis and Rodney both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Dennis

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–1970

    Highest recorded position: #34 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1970).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #156 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys

Rodney

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #38 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–1983

    Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1966 (recorded 1952–1983).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #2671 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Boys