Donal vs Niall

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 2024, Donal was ranked #216 and Niall #144 among boys in Northern Ireland.

• Republic of Ireland · Boys

  In 2025, Donal was ranked #509 and Niall #244 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

• England and Wales · Boys

  In 2024, Donal was ranked #5119 and Niall #613 among boys in England and Wales.

Donal and Niall over time

Donal and Niall appear together in 3 published lists, across 104 years of shared records. Niall held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Donal 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.

List by list

• Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025

  Donal held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Niall in 60.

  Highest recorded here: Donal #38 in 1965, Niall #16 in 1991.

  The order changed in 1966: Niall moved ahead. In 1965 they stood at #38 and #39; by 1966 that had become #44 and #40.

  Most recent shared year, 2025: Donal #509, Niall #244.

• Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024

  Donal held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niall in 27.

  Highest recorded here: Donal #117 in 1998, Niall #26 in 1998.

  The order between them never changed and held in this list.

  Most recent shared year, 2024: Donal #216, Niall #144.

• England and Wales · Boys15 shared years, 1996–2024

  Donal held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Niall in 15.

  Highest recorded here: Donal #1746 in 2001, Niall #106 in 1996.

  The order between them never changed and held in this list.

  Most recent shared year, 2024: Donal #5119, Niall #613.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Side by side

How each name got here