Edgar vs Ryan
Edgar and Ryancompared 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 2024, Edgar was ranked #655 and Ryan #46 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Edgar was ranked #898 and Ryan #132 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Edgar was ranked #340 and Ryan #364 among boys in Norway.
Edgar and Ryan over time
Edgar and Ryan appear together in 3 published lists, across 75 years of shared records. Ryan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Edgar 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.
Ryan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Edgar 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2004, Ryan moved ahead of Edgar in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #254 and #307 the year before became #506 and #13.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Edgar and Ryan changed places 18 times in Norway · Boys between 1977 and 2025, ending at #340 and #364.
- Longest-running competitions
Edgar and Ryan were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 36 years, from 1977 to 2025, ending at #340 and #364.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Edgar #251 in 2016, Ryan #249 in 2015.
List by list
Norway · Boys36 shared years, 1977–2025
Edgar held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Ryan in 20.
Highest recorded here: Edgar #251 in 2016, Ryan #249 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Edgar #340, Ryan #364.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Edgar held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ryan in 29.
Highest recorded here: Edgar #690 in 2018, Ryan #7 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Edgar #898, Ryan #132.
Republic of Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 1972–2024
Edgar held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Ryan in 9.
Highest recorded here: Edgar #254 in 1972, Ryan #6 in 2011.
The order changed in 2004: Ryan moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #254 and #307; by 2004 that had become #506 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Edgar #655, Ryan #46.
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 | Edgar | Ryan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riain, a patronymic from the given name Rian. The exact meaning of Rian itself remains uncertain, despite a popular but unconfirmed 'little king' gloss. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈɹaɪ.ən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #340 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #57 (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
- Ryan has a recorded origin (Irish (surname origin)); Edgar does not have one recorded yet.
- Edgar has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ryan.
- A meaning is recorded for Ryan; Edgar doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Edgar
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #142 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #122 among boys in Norway, in 1951 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #340 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Ryan
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #280 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #81 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys