Gareth vs Kenneth
Gareth 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1981, Gareth was ranked #44 and Kenneth #88 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2007, Gareth was ranked #199 and Kenneth #315 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Gareth was ranked #552 and Kenneth #755 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Gareth was ranked #2088 and Kenneth #968 among boys in England and Wales.
Gareth and Kenneth over time
Gareth and Kenneth appear together in 2 published lists, across 84 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 Gareth 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
Gareth and Kenneth changed places 13 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2021, ending at #552 and #755.
- Longest-running competitions
Gareth and Kenneth were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 55 years, from 1964 to 2021, ending at #552 and #755.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Gareth #117 in 1996, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys55 shared years, 1964–2021
Gareth held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Kenneth in 36.
Highest recorded here: Gareth #42 in 1980, Kenneth #26 in 1972.
The order changed in 2021: Gareth moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #741 and #637; by 2021 that had become #552 and #755.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Gareth #552, Kenneth #755.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Gareth held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Kenneth in 14.
Highest recorded here: Gareth #117 in 1996, Kenneth #345 in 1996.
The order changed in 2014: Kenneth moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #1063 and #1147; by 2014 that had become #1178 and #935.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gareth #2088, Kenneth #968.
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 | Gareth | 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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #2088 (2024) | 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); Gareth does not have one recorded yet.
- Gareth and Kenneth both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kenneth; Gareth doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Gareth
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #214 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 recorded1971–1989
Highest recorded position: #30 among boys in New Zealand, in 1982 (recorded 1971–1989).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2088 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · 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