Ferdia vs Kenneth
Ferdia and Kennethcompared 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, Ferdia was ranked #472 and Kenneth #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ferdia was ranked #5119 and Kenneth #968 among boys in England and Wales.
Ferdia and Kenneth over time
Ferdia and Kenneth appear together in 1 published list, across 37 years of shared records. Kenneth held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ferdia 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.
Kenneth reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ferdia 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
Ferdia and Kenneth changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1984 and 2024, ending at #472 and #785.
- Longest-running competitions
Ferdia and Kenneth were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 37 years, from 1984 to 2024, ending at #472 and #785.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1984–2024
Ferdia held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Kenneth in 22.
Highest recorded here: Ferdia #205 in 1993, Kenneth #50 in 1984.
The order changed in 2019: Ferdia moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #572 and #369; by 2019 that had become #335 and #646.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ferdia #472, Kenneth #785.
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 | Ferdia | Kenneth |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed, of Scottish Gaelic origin. Borne by the Scottish king Kenneth mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Scottish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kenneth has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic); Ferdia does not have one recorded yet.
- Ferdia and Kenneth both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kenneth; Ferdia doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Ferdia
Popularity journey
First recorded1984
First recorded at #318 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1984 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1984–2025
Highest recorded position: #205 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1993 (recorded 1984–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Kenneth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2021
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #968 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys