Desmond vs Laurence
Desmond and Laurencecompared 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 1956, Desmond was ranked #99 and Laurence #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Desmond was ranked #1307 and Laurence #401 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Desmond was ranked #785 and Laurence #582 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Desmond and Laurence over time
Desmond and Laurence appear together in 2 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Laurence 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 Laurence changed places 15 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2024, ending at #785 and #582.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 58 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Desmond and Laurence averaged 52.5 places apart, ending at #785 and #582.
- Longest-running competitions
Desmond and Laurence were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1307 and #401.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #43 and #48 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 5 places apart; by 2024 they were #785 and #582.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys58 shared years, 1964–2024
Desmond held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Laurence in 31.
Highest recorded here: Desmond #43 in 1964, Laurence #47 in 1968.
The order changed in 2013: Laurence moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #430 and #457; by 2013 that had become #605 and #404.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Desmond #785, Laurence #582.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Desmond held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Laurence in 30.
Highest recorded here: Desmond #1133 in 2009, Laurence #161 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Desmond #1307, Laurence #401.
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 | Laurence |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #401 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Desmond has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Laurence.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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 #1307 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Laurence
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #86 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 recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #47 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1968 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #401 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys