Eddie vs Paul
Eddie and Paulcompared 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 2024, Eddie was ranked #216 and Paul #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Eddie was ranked #222 and Paul #586 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Eddie was ranked #286 and Paul #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Eddie was ranked #352 and Paul #290 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Eddie was ranked #507 and Paul #478 among boys in Norway.
Eddie and Paul over time
Eddie and Paul appear together in 4 published lists, across 100 years of shared records. Paul held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Eddie in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Paul reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Eddie 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 2020, Eddie moved ahead of Paul in Northern Ireland · Boys — #365 and #209 the year before became #193 and #213.
- Longest-running competitions
Eddie and Paul were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 30 years, from 1982 to 2025, ending at #286 and #286.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1982–2025
Eddie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 29.
Highest recorded here: Eddie #240 in 2024, Paul #4 in 1982.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eddie #286, Paul #286.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Eddie held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Paul in 19.
Highest recorded here: Eddie #187 in 2022, Paul #72 in 1996.
The order changed in 2015: Eddie moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #316 and #305; by 2015 that had become #245 and #286.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eddie #222, Paul #586.
Norway · Boys25 shared years, 1945–2023
Eddie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 25.
Highest recorded here: Eddie #285 in 1957, Paul #69 in 1951.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Eddie #507, Paul #478.
Northern Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 2002–2024
Eddie held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Paul in 11.
Highest recorded here: Eddie #166 in 2021, Paul #49 in 2002.
The order changed in 2020: Eddie moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #365 and #209; by 2020 that had become #193 and #213.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eddie #216, Paul #278.
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 | Eddie | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the Roman name Paulus, meaning 'small' in Latin. Saint Paul, originally named Saul, converted to Christianity and became a key missionary figure, authoring several New Testament epistles. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈpɔːl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Paul has a recorded origin (Latin); Eddie does not have one recorded yet.
- Eddie has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Paul.
- A meaning is recorded for Paul; Eddie doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Eddie
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #342 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2002–2024
Highest recorded position: #166 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 2002–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #457 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Paul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #73 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys