Gregory vs Noel
Gregory and Noelcompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1964, Gregory was ranked #12 and Noel #91 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1963, Gregory was ranked #16 and Noel #94 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2012, Gregory was ranked #403 and Noel #346 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Gregory was ranked #829 and Noel #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Gregory was ranked #1460 and Noel #567 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Gregory was ranked #727 and Noel #619 among boys in Scotland.
Gregory and Noel over time
Gregory and Noel appear together in 4 published lists, across 112 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Noel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Gregory 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Gregory and Noel were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 60 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #829 and #402.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Gregory #7 in 1954, Noel #54 in 1953.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2025
Gregory held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Noel in 60.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #72 in 1967, Noel #19 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gregory #829, Noel #402.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Gregory held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Noel in 15.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #117 in 1997, Noel #372 in 2015.
The order changed in 2009: Noel moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #557 and #604; by 2009 that had become #544 and #544.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gregory #1460, Noel #567.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys13 shared years, 1952–1964
Gregory held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Noel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #7 in 1954, Noel #54 in 1953.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1964: Gregory #12, Noel #91.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 1954–1963
Gregory held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Noel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #16 in 1960, Noel #63 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1963: Gregory #16, Noel #94.
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 | Gregory | Noel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Latin Gregorius, from Late Greek Gregorios, from 'gregoros' ('watchful, alert'), itself from 'egeiro' ('to awaken'). Borne by Saint Gregory the Illuminator and Pope Gregory I the Great. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | From Late Greek 'gregoros' ('watchful, alert'), via the Latin Gregorius | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡɹɛɡ.ə.ɹi/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | Norway · Boys #139 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gregory has a recorded origin (From Late Greek 'gregoros' ('watchful, alert'), via the Latin Gregorius); Noel does not have one recorded yet.
- Gregory has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Noel.
- A meaning is recorded for Gregory; Noel doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Gregory
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #9 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 recorded1952–1990
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1954 (recorded 1952–1990).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Noel
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #56 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #19 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #139 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys