Namewise

Donald vs Philip

Donald 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.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 1969, Donald was ranked #95 and Philip #30 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 1969, Donald was ranked #94 and Philip #54 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2019, Donald was ranked #764 and Philip #214 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Donald was ranked #432 and Philip #619 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Donald was ranked #1466 and Philip #549 among boys in England and Wales.

Donald and Philip over time

Donald and Philip appear together in 4 published lists, across 95 years of shared records. Philip held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Donald in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Donald reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Philip 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.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Donald and Philip were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1466 and #549.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Donald #680 in 1996, Philip #103 in 1996.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys32 shared years, 19642019

    Donald held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Philip in 32.

    Highest recorded here: Donald #96 in 1965, Philip #30 in 1978.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Donald #764, Philip #214.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 19962025

    Donald held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Philip in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Donald #680 in 1996, Philip #103 in 1996.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Donald #1466, Philip #549.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 19521969

    Donald held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Philip in 17.

    Highest recorded here: Donald #40 in 1953, Philip #29 in 1958.

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

    Most recent shared year, 1969: Donald #94, Philip #54.

  • New Zealand · Boys16 shared years, 19541969

    Donald held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Philip in 16.

    Highest recorded here: Donald #34 in 1955, Philip #20 in 1963.

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

    Most recent shared year, 1969: Donald #95, Philip #30.

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.

Other comparisons involving Philip

Pairs where Philip shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Donald, Philip
FieldDonaldPhilip
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Boys #1466 (2025)Norway · Boys #91 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Donald and Philip both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Donald

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #45 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1954–1969

    Highest recorded position: #34 among boys in New Zealand, in 1955 (recorded 1954–1969).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #1466 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Philip

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1954–1992

    Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New Zealand, in 1963 (recorded 1954–1992).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #549 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys