Desmond vs Keith
Desmond and Keithcompared 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 1958, Desmond was ranked #90 and Keith #34 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1956, Desmond was ranked #99 and Keith #42 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2005, Desmond was ranked #307 and Keith #307 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Desmond was ranked #402 and Keith #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Desmond was ranked #1951 and Keith #3688 among boys in England and Wales.
Desmond and Keith over time
Desmond and Keith appear together in 2 published lists, across 85 years of shared records. Keith held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Desmond 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
Desmond and Keith changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1951 and #3688.
- Longest-running competitions
Desmond and Keith were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 56 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #402 and #577.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys56 shared years, 1964–2025
Desmond held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Keith in 48.
Highest recorded here: Desmond #43 in 1964, Keith #17 in 1975.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Desmond #402, Keith #577.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Desmond held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Keith in 21.
Highest recorded here: Desmond #1133 in 2009, Keith #379 in 1996.
The order changed in 2024: Desmond moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #2325 and #2325; by 2024 that had become #1951 and #3688.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Desmond #1951, Keith #3688.
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 | Desmond | Keith |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Desmond has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Keith.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Desmond
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #78 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #43 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Keith
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #40 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1975 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys