Fergus vs Finbarr
Fergus and Finbarrcompared 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 2023, Fergus was ranked #348 and Finbarr #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2022, Fergus was ranked #480 and Finbarr #4001 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Fergus was ranked #829 and Finbarr #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Fergus and Finbarr over time
Fergus and Finbarr appear together in 2 published lists, across 77 years of shared records. Fergus held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Finbarr 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.
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
Fergus and Finbarr changed places 17 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2025, ending at #829 and #577.
- Longest-running competitions
Fergus and Finbarr were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 56 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #829 and #577.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Fergus #243 in 1996, Finbarr #2020 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #66 and #70 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 4 places apart; by 2025 they were #829 and #577.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys56 shared years, 1964–2025
Fergus held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Finbarr in 15.
Highest recorded here: Fergus #66 in 1964, Finbarr #70 in 1964.
The order changed in 2025: Finbarr moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #660 and #770; by 2025 that had become #829 and #577.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Fergus #829, Finbarr #577.
England and Wales · Boys21 shared years, 1996–2022
Fergus held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Finbarr in 0.
Highest recorded here: Fergus #243 in 1996, Finbarr #2020 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Fergus #480, Finbarr #4001.
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 | Fergus | Finbarr |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Fergus and Finbarr both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Fergus
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #66 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: #66 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Finbarr
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #70 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: #70 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys