Fiachra vs Iain
Fiachra and Iaincompared 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 2011, Fiachra was ranked #204 and Iain #623 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2007, Fiachra was ranked #209 and Iain #315 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2019, Fiachra was ranked #4702 and Iain #4702 among boys in England and Wales.
Fiachra and Iain over time
Fiachra and Iain appear together in 2 published lists, across 45 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 1989, Fiachra moved ahead of Iain in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #196 and #186 the year before became #159 and #199.
- Longest-running competitions
Fiachra and Iain were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 36 years, from 1969 to 2011, ending at #204 and #623.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1969–2011
Fiachra held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Iain in 2.
Highest recorded here: Fiachra #133 in 1996, Iain #186 in 1988.
The order changed in 1989: Fiachra moved ahead. In 1988 they stood at #196 and #186; by 1989 that had become #159 and #199.
Most recent shared year, 2011: Fiachra #204, Iain #623.
England and Wales · Boys9 shared years, 2003–2019
Fiachra held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Iain in 8.
Highest recorded here: Fiachra #3467 in 2003, Iain #815 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Fiachra #4702, Iain #4702.
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 | Fiachra | Iain |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #121 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #727 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Fiachra has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Iain.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Fiachra
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #187 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2000–2024
Highest recorded position: #115 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 2000–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #121 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Iain
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #250 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2011
Highest recorded position: #186 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1988 (recorded 1965–2011).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #3990 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021.
England and Wales · Boys