Donal vs Philip
Donal and Philipcompared 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 2022, Donal was ranked #234 and Philip #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Donal was ranked #509 and Philip #309 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Donal was ranked #5119 and Philip #461 among boys in England and Wales.
Donal and Philip over time
Donal and Philip appear together in 3 published lists, across 103 years of shared records. Philip 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.
Philip 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
Donal and Philip changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2022, ending at #234 and #311.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Donal and Philip averaged 36.7 places apart, ending at #509 and #309.
- Longest-running competitions
Donal and Philip were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #509 and #309.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Donal #117 in 1998, Philip #51 in 1997.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #45 and #36 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 9 places apart; by 2025 they were #509 and #309.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Donal held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Philip in 60.
Highest recorded here: Donal #38 in 1965, Philip #30 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Donal #509, Philip #309.
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1997–2022
Donal held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Philip in 13.
Highest recorded here: Donal #117 in 1998, Philip #51 in 1997.
The order changed in 2016: Donal moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #187 and #187; by 2016 that had become #320 and #358.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Donal #234, Philip #311.
England and Wales · Boys15 shared years, 1996–2024
Donal held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Philip in 15.
Highest recorded here: Donal #1746 in 2001, Philip #103 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Donal #5119, Philip #461.
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 | Philip |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) | Norway · Boys #91 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Donal and Philip both have 2 syllables.
- 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
Philip
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #341 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1992
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New Zealand, in 1963 (recorded 1954–1992).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #91 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys