Dillon vs Fionn
Dillon and Fionncompared 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 2025, Dillon was ranked #829 and Fionn #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Dillon was ranked #395 and Fionn #34 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Dillon was ranked #619 and Fionn #330 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Dillon was ranked #822 and Fionn #658 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2004, Dillon was ranked #4598 and Fionn #4598 among girls in England and Wales.
Dillon and Fionn over time
Dillon and Fionn appear together in 3 published lists, across 96 years of shared records. Fionn held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dillon in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 3 of those lists, and Fionn in none. 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2002, Fionn moved ahead of Dillon in Northern Ireland · Boys — #162 and #173 the year before became #157 and #131.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Dillon and Fionn changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1980 and 2025, ending at #829 and #6.
- Mirrored each other
Over 42 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Fionn rose about as far as Dillon fell — from #321 and #264 in 1980 to #829 and #6 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Dillon and Fionn were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #822 and #658.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys42 shared years, 1980–2025
Dillon held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Fionn in 35.
Highest recorded here: Dillon #86 in 1997, Fionn #6 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dillon #829, Fionn #6.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Dillon held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Fionn in 4.
Highest recorded here: Dillon #158 in 2004, Fionn #555 in 2022.
The order changed in 2022: Fionn moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #598 and #610; by 2022 that had become #727 and #555.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dillon #822, Fionn #658.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1999–2023
Dillon held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Fionn in 21.
Highest recorded here: Dillon #112 in 2004, Fionn #34 in 2023.
The order changed in 2002: Fionn moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #162 and #173; by 2002 that had become #157 and #131.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Dillon #395, Fionn #34.
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 | Fionn |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally interpreted as 'white' or 'fair', extending in Old Irish usage to 'bright' and figuratively 'true, just'. Strongly associated with the mythological hero Fionn mac Cumhaill. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈfɪn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #822 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #6 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Fionn has a recorded origin (Irish); Dillon does not have one recorded yet.
- Dillon has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Fionn.
- A meaning is recorded for Fionn; Dillon doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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 #5927 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Fionn
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #257 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1971–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2023 (recorded 1971–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #658 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys