Donnacha vs Gavan
Donnacha and Gavancompared 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 2006, Donnacha was ranked #126 and Gavan #596 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Donnacha and Gavan over time
Donnacha and Gavan appear together in 1 published list, across 31 years of shared records. Donnacha held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Gavan 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.
Gavan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Donnacha 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Donnacha and Gavan changed places 9 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1966 and 2006, ending at #126 and #596.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 31 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Donnacha and Gavan averaged 55.5 places apart, ending at #126 and #596.
- Longest-running competitions
Donnacha and Gavan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 31 years, from 1966 to 2006, ending at #126 and #596.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys31 shared years, 1966–2006
Donnacha held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Gavan in 7.
Highest recorded here: Donnacha #126 in 2006, Gavan #182 in 1973.
The order changed in 1990: Donnacha moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #253 and #253; by 1990 that had become #216 and #229.
Most recent shared year, 2006: Donnacha #126, Gavan #596.
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 | Donnacha | Gavan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #64 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #596 (2006) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Donnacha has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Gavan.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Donnacha
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #207 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #46 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #64 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Gavan
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #199 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1966–2006
Highest recorded position: #182 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1973 (recorded 1966–2006).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2006
Most recently recorded at #596 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2006.
Republic of Ireland · Boys