Francis vs Saul
Francis and Saulcompared 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 2025, Francis was ranked #193 and Saul #1035 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Francis was ranked #267 and Saul #655 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Francis was ranked #278 and Saul #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Francis was ranked #352 and Saul #352 among boys in Scotland.
Francis and Saul over time
Francis and Saul appear together in 3 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Francis held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Saul in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Francis reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Saul 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
Francis and Saul changed places 9 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #278 and #278.
- Longest-running competitions
Francis and Saul were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #193 and #1035.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Francis #100 in 1997, Saul #186 in 1999.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Francis held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Saul in 0.
Highest recorded here: Francis #188 in 1996, Saul #241 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Francis #193, Saul #1035.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024
Francis held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Saul in 5.
Highest recorded here: Francis #100 in 1997, Saul #186 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Francis #278, Saul #278.
Republic of Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1992–2024
Francis held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Saul in 0.
Highest recorded here: Francis #78 in 1992, Saul #249 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Francis #267, Saul #655.
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 | Francis | Saul |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #193 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1035 (2025) |
| 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
- Francis has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Saul.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Francis
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #74 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2138 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Saul
Popularity journey
First recorded1992
First recorded at #337 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1992 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #186 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1999 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1035 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys