Derek vs Fearghal
Derek and Fearghalcompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 1998, Derek was ranked #272 and Fearghal #207 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Derek was ranked #472 and Fearghal #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 1997, Derek was ranked #809 and Fearghal #2337 among boys in England and Wales.
Derek and Fearghal over time
Derek and Fearghal appear together in 1 published list, across 41 years of shared records. Derek held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Fearghal in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Derek reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Fearghal 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Derek and Fearghal were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 41 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #472 and #785.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1964–2024
Derek held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Fearghal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Derek #22 in 1972, Fearghal #153 in 1986.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Derek #472, Fearghal #785.
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 | Derek | Fearghal |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #432 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #404 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Derek and Fearghal both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Derek
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #89 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1972 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1705 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Fearghal
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #232 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 recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #153 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1986 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #404 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Boys