Gerard vs Marc
Gerard and Marccompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Gerard was ranked #249 and Marc #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Gerard was ranked #348 and Marc #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Gerard was ranked #727 and Marc #478 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Gerard was ranked #1675 and Marc #1025 among boys in England and Wales.
Gerard and Marc over time
Gerard and Marc appear together in 3 published lists, across 114 years of shared records. Gerard held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Marc in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Gerard reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Marc in 1. 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
Gerard and Marc changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2023, ending at #249 and #395.
- Longest-running competitions
Gerard and Marc were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 61 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #348 and #402.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Gerard #462 in 1997, Marc #169 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1965–2025
Gerard held the stronger position in 60 of those years, Marc in 0.
Highest recorded here: Gerard #10 in 1965, Marc #117 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gerard #348, Marc #402.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Gerard held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Marc in 28.
Highest recorded here: Gerard #462 in 1997, Marc #169 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gerard #1675, Marc #1025.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2023
Gerard held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Marc in 4.
Highest recorded here: Gerard #57 in 1997, Marc #73 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Gerard #249, Marc #395.
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 | Gerard | Marc |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Combines Old German 'ger' (spear) with 'hart' (hard, firm, brave) — 'spear-brave'. Borne by saints from Belgium, Germany, Hungary and Italy; brought to Britain by the Normans. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Germanic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɛɹ.əd/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #348 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gerard has a recorded origin (Germanic); Marc does not have one recorded yet.
- Gerard has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Marc.
- A meaning is recorded for Gerard; Marc doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Gerard
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #87 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #348 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Marc
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #250 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2023
Highest recorded position: #73 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1997–2023).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys