Eoin vs William
Eoin and Williamcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Eoin was ranked #945 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Eoin was ranked #71 and William #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Eoin was ranked #404 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Eoin was ranked #106 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Eoin and William over time
Eoin and William appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Eoin in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
William reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Eoin 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Eoin and William changed places 8 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #71 and #64.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Eoin and William averaged 9.4 places apart, ending at #71 and #64.
- Longest-running competitions
Eoin and William were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #106 and #73.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Eoin held the stronger position in 26 of those years, William in 36.
Highest recorded here: Eoin #14 in 2004, William #8 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eoin #106, William #73.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Eoin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 29.
Highest recorded here: Eoin #398 in 1998, William #7 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eoin #945, William #27.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Eoin held the stronger position in 14 of those years, William in 13.
Highest recorded here: Eoin #23 in 2004, William #26 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eoin #71, William #64.
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 | Eoin | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as the Irish form of John, ultimately tracing to Hebrew elements for 'Yahweh' and 'to be gracious/show favour'. | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Irish | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈoːnʲ/ | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #106 (2025) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Eoin is recorded with a Irish origin, while William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
- Eoin has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for William.
- Eoin's recorded meaning differs from William's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Eoin
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #83 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #14 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #106 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 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 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys