Garreth vs Shaun
Garreth and Shauncompared 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, Garreth was ranked #3849 and Shaun #182 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2009, Garreth was ranked #701 and Shaun #227 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Garreth and Shaun over time
Garreth and Shaun appear together in 1 published list, across 39 years of shared records. Shaun 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.
Garreth reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Shaun 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 Shaun changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1966 and 2009, ending at #701 and #227.
- Longest-running competitions
Garreth and Shaun were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 39 years, from 1966 to 2009, ending at #701 and #227.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys39 shared years, 1966–2009
Garreth held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Shaun in 35.
Highest recorded here: Garreth #112 in 1980, Shaun #81 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Garreth #701, Shaun #227.
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 | Garreth | Shaun |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #701 (2009) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Garreth has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shaun.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Garreth
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1966–2009
Highest recorded position: #112 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1980 (recorded 1966–2009).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2009
Most recently recorded at #701 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2009.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Shaun
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #84 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1967–1999
Highest recorded position: #34 among boys in New Zealand, in 1988 (recorded 1967–1999).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys