Dylan vs Michael
Dylan and Michaelcompared 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 2025, Dylan was ranked #69 and Michael #22 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2022, Dylan was ranked #91 and Michael #62 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dylan was ranked #64 and Michael #85 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Dylan was ranked #154 and Michael #66 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Dylan was ranked #104 and Michael #66 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, Dylan was ranked #80 and Michael #81 among boys in New Zealand.
Dylan and Michael over time
Dylan and Michael appear together in 5 published lists, across 192 years of shared records. Michael held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Dylan in 1.
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.
Michael reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Dylan 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2001, Dylan moved ahead of Michael in England and Wales · Boys — #37 and #30 the year before became #27 and #33.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Dylan and Michael changed places 8 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1983 and 2022, ending at #91 and #62.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Dylan and Michael averaged 21.9 places apart, ending at #64 and #85.
- Longest-running competitions
Dylan and Michael were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 39 years, from 1983 to 2022, ending at #91 and #62.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys55 shared years, 1969–2025
Dylan held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Michael in 49.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #7 in 1998, Michael #2 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dylan #69, Michael #22.
New Zealand · Boys41 shared years, 1980–2020
Dylan held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Michael in 21.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #7 in 1992, Michael #1 in 1981.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Dylan #80, Michael #81.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys39 shared years, 1983–2022
Dylan held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Michael in 25.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #12 in 1995, Michael #1 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Dylan #91, Michael #62.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dylan held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Michael in 5.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #16 in 2010, Michael #22 in 1996.
The order changed in 2001: Dylan moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #37 and #30; by 2001 that had become #27 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dylan #64, Michael #85.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Dylan held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Michael in 14.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #7 in 2001, Michael #7 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dylan #154, Michael #66.
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 | Dylan | Michael |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with the sea/tide — popularly glossed as 'great tide' or 'born from the sea', reflecting the mythological figure's role. Some scholars theorise the figure may reflect an earlier, otherwise unattested Celtic sea god — treat as a proposed origin, not settled fact. | Commonly interpreted as a rhetorical question, 'Who is like God?', implying no one compares to God. |
| Origin | Welsh | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɪlən/ | /ˈmaɪkəl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #69 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #22 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Dylan is recorded with a Welsh origin, while Michael is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Dylan and Michael both have 2 syllables.
- Dylan's recorded meaning differs from Michael's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Dylan
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #246 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1980–2020
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1980–2020).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Michael
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #259 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1974 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #62 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys