Gavan vs Tom
Gavan and Tomcompared 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 2006, Gavan was ranked #596 and Tom #71 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2005, Gavan was ranked #2754 and Tom #104 among boys in England and Wales.
Gavan and Tom over time
Gavan and Tom appear together in 1 published list, across 16 years of shared records. Tom held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Gavan in 0.
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.
Gavan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Tom 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1991, Tom moved ahead of Gavan in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #229 and #256 the year before became #324 and #179.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 1980–2006
Gavan held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Tom in 11.
Highest recorded here: Gavan #229 in 1990, Tom #71 in 2006.
The order changed in 1991: Tom moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #229 and #256; by 1991 that had become #324 and #179.
Most recent shared year, 2006: Gavan #596, Tom #71.
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 | Gavan | Tom |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #596 (2006) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #48 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gavan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Tom.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Gavan
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 recorded1966–2006
Highest recorded position: #182 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1973 (recorded 1966–2006).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2006
Most recently recorded at #596 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2006.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Tom
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #50 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #12 among boys in Norway, in 1960 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #388 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys