Namewise

Fergus vs Garreth

Fergus and Garrethcompared 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 2005, Fergus was ranked #349 and Garreth #3849 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2009, Fergus was ranked #604 and Garreth #701 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Fergus and Garreth over time

Fergus and Garreth appear together in 1 published list, across 39 years of shared records. Fergus held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Garreth in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Fergus reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Garreth 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

    Fergus and Garreth changed places 12 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1966 and 2009, ending at #604 and #701.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Fergus and Garreth were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 39 years, from 1966 to 2009, ending at #604 and #701.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys39 shared years, 19662009

    Fergus held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Garreth in 5.

    Highest recorded here: Fergus #71 in 1966, Garreth #112 in 1980.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2009: Fergus #604, Garreth #701.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Fergus, Garreth
FieldFergusGarreth
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IEGB-ENW, IE
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #701 (2009)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/10060/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Fergus and Garreth both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.

How each name got here

Fergus

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #66 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

Garreth

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1966

    First recorded at #199 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1966–2009

    Highest recorded position: #112 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1980 (recorded 1966–2009).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2009

    Most recently recorded at #701 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2009.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys