Desmond vs Lawrence
Desmond and Lawrencecompared 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 Lawrence #93 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1956, Desmond was ranked #99 and Lawrence #95 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Desmond was ranked #402 and Lawrence #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Desmond was ranked #1307 and Lawrence #549 among boys in England and Wales.
Desmond and Lawrence over time
Desmond and Lawrence appear together in 2 published lists, across 73 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Desmond and Lawrence were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1307 and #549.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys43 shared years, 1964–2025
Desmond held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Lawrence in 1.
Highest recorded here: Desmond #43 in 1964, Lawrence #101 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Desmond #402, Lawrence #829.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Desmond held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Lawrence in 30.
Highest recorded here: Desmond #1133 in 2009, Lawrence #152 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Desmond #1307, Lawrence #549.
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 | Lawrence |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #549 (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 Lawrence.
- 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 #1307 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Lawrence
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #77 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 recorded1952–1957
Highest recorded position: #77 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1957).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #549 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys