Graham vs Malachy
Graham and Malachycompared 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 2010, Graham was ranked #387 and Malachy #303 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Graham was ranked #770 and Malachy #436 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Graham was ranked #5119 and Malachy #1132 among boys in England and Wales.
Graham and Malachy over time
Graham and Malachy appear together in 3 published lists, across 87 years of shared records. Malachy held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Graham in 1.
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.
Malachy reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Graham 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
Graham and Malachy changed places 8 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2023, ending at #770 and #436.
- Longest-running competitions
Graham and Malachy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 51 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #770 and #436.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #129 and #129 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 0 places apart; by 2023 they were #770 and #436.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys51 shared years, 1964–2023
Graham held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Malachy in 8.
Highest recorded here: Graham #52 in 1984, Malachy #123 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Graham #770, Malachy #436.
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2024
Graham held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Malachy in 21.
Highest recorded here: Graham #341 in 1996, Malachy #401 in 2005.
The order changed in 2003: Malachy moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #710 and #805; by 2003 that had become #695 and #414.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Graham #5119, Malachy #1132.
Northern Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1997–2010
Graham held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Malachy in 5.
Highest recorded here: Graham #137 in 1998, Malachy #179 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Graham #387, Malachy #303.
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 | Graham | Malachy |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #727 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Graham has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Malachy.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Graham
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #20 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1979
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1979).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5119 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Malachy
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #129 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #123 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1968 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys