Namewise

Garreth vs Gerald

Garreth and Geraldcompared 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 2009, Garreth was ranked #701 and Gerald #472 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2005, Garreth was ranked #3849 and Gerald #1456 among boys in England and Wales.

Garreth and Gerald over time

Garreth and Gerald appear together in 1 published list, across 38 years of shared records. Gerald 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.

Gerald 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

    Garreth and Gerald changed places 8 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1966 and 2009, ending at #701 and #472.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Garreth and Gerald were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 38 years, from 1966 to 2009, ending at #701 and #472.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys38 shared years, 19662009

    Garreth held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Gerald in 27.

    Highest recorded here: Garreth #112 in 1980, Gerald #64 in 1966.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2009: Garreth #701, Gerald #472.

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 Garreth, Gerald
FieldGarrethGerald
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 recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, IEGB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #701 (2009)England and Wales · Boys #1859 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)60/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

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

How each name got here

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

Gerald

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1955

    First recorded at #90 among boys in New Zealand in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New Zealand · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1964–2023

    Highest recorded position: #57 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2023).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #1859 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Boys