Dillon vs Donal
Dillon and Donalcompared 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 2021, Dillon was ranked #374 and Donal #200 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Dillon was ranked #829 and Donal #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dillon was ranked #826 and Donal #5119 among boys in England and Wales.
Dillon and Donal over time
Dillon and Donal appear together in 3 published lists, across 82 years of shared records. Dillon held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Donal in 1.
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.
Dillon reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Donal in 1. 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Dillon and Donal changed places 9 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2021, ending at #374 and #200.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 25 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Dillon and Donal averaged 51.2 places apart, ending at #374 and #200.
- Longest-running competitions
Dillon and Donal were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 42 years, from 1980 to 2025, ending at #829 and #509.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Dillon #104 in 1997, Donal #117 in 1998.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys42 shared years, 1980–2025
Dillon held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Donal in 25.
Highest recorded here: Dillon #86 in 1997, Donal #56 in 1984.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dillon #829, Donal #509.
Northern Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1997–2021
Dillon held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Donal in 10.
Highest recorded here: Dillon #104 in 1997, Donal #117 in 1998.
The order changed in 2019: Donal moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #215 and #319; by 2019 that had become #254 and #242.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Dillon #374, Donal #200.
England and Wales · Boys15 shared years, 1996–2024
Dillon held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Donal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Dillon #169 in 1998, Donal #1746 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dillon #826, Donal #5119.
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 | Dillon | Donal |
|---|---|---|
| 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 #829 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dillon and Donal both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Dillon
Popularity journey
First recorded1980
First recorded at #321 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1980 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1980–2025
Highest recorded position: #86 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1980–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Donal
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #45 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: #38 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys