Donal vs Kenneth
Donal and Kennethcompared 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 2007, Donal was ranked #236 and Kenneth #315 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Donal was ranked #374 and Kenneth #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Donal was ranked #5119 and Kenneth #968 among boys in England and Wales.
Donal and Kenneth over time
Donal and Kenneth appear together in 2 published lists, across 75 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1989, Donal moved ahead of Kenneth in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #65 and #63 the year before became #68 and #70.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Donal and Kenneth changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2024, ending at #374 and #785.
- Longest-running competitions
Donal and Kenneth were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 60 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #374 and #785.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #45 and #41 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 4 places apart; by 2024 they were #374 and #785.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2024
Donal held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Kenneth in 23.
Highest recorded here: Donal #38 in 1965, Kenneth #26 in 1972.
The order changed in 1989: Donal moved ahead. In 1988 they stood at #65 and #63; by 1989 that had become #68 and #70.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donal #374, Kenneth #785.
England and Wales · Boys15 shared years, 1996–2024
Donal held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kenneth in 15.
Highest recorded here: Donal #1746 in 2001, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donal #5119, Kenneth #968.
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 | Donal | Kenneth |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed, of Scottish Gaelic origin. Borne by the Scottish king Kenneth mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Scottish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kenneth has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic); Donal does not have one recorded yet.
- Donal and Kenneth both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kenneth; Donal doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
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
Kenneth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2021
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #968 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys