Derrick vs Neal
Derrick and Nealcompared 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 1995, Derrick was ranked #334 and Neal #301 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Derrick was ranked #1701 and Neal #4107 among boys in England and Wales.
Derrick and Neal over time
Derrick and Neal appear together in 2 published lists, across 49 years of shared records. Neal held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Derrick 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Derrick and Neal changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2023, ending at #1701 and #4107.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 26 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Derrick and Neal averaged 39.1 places apart, ending at #334 and #301.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Derrick #1257 in 1997, Neal #654 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1964–1995
Derrick held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Neal in 12.
Highest recorded here: Derrick #137 in 1975, Neal #154 in 1976.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1995: Derrick #334, Neal #301.
England and Wales · Boys23 shared years, 1996–2023
Derrick held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Neal in 13.
Highest recorded here: Derrick #1257 in 1997, Neal #654 in 1996.
The order changed in 2018: Derrick moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #3449 and #3040; by 2018 that had become #2445 and #2693.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Derrick #1701, Neal #4107.
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 | Derrick | Neal |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4107 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Derrick has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Neal.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Derrick
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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #137 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1975 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Neal
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #204 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 recorded1964–2014
Highest recorded position: #154 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1976 (recorded 1964–2014).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4107 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys