Gregory vs Paul
Gregory and Paulcompared 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 Zealand · Boys
In 1988, Gregory was ranked #76 and Paul #32 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1990, Gregory was ranked #95 and Paul #46 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2012, Gregory was ranked #403 and Paul #133 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Gregory was ranked #829 and Paul #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Gregory was ranked #727 and Paul #290 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Gregory was ranked #1460 and Paul #586 among boys in England and Wales.
Gregory and Paul over time
Gregory and Paul appear together in 4 published lists, across 163 years of shared records. Paul held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Gregory in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Gregory reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Paul 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 39 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Gregory and Paul averaged 16.3 places apart, ending at #95 and #46.
- Longest-running competitions
Gregory and Paul were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 39 years, from 1952 to 1990, ending at #95 and #46.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Gregory #117 in 1997, Paul #72 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2025
Gregory held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 60.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #72 in 1967, Paul #3 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gregory #829, Paul #286.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys39 shared years, 1952–1990
Gregory held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Paul in 31.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #7 in 1954, Paul #4 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1990: Gregory #95, Paul #46.
New Zealand · Boys35 shared years, 1954–1988
Gregory held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 35.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #16 in 1960, Paul #3 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1988: Gregory #76, Paul #32.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Gregory held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 29.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #117 in 1997, Paul #72 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gregory #1460, Paul #586.
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 | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | From the Roman name Paulus, meaning 'small' in Latin. Saint Paul, originally named Saul, converted to Christianity and became a key missionary figure, authoring several New Testament epistles. |
| Origin | From Late Greek 'gregoros' ('watchful, alert'), via the Latin Gregorius | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡɹɛɡ.ə.ɹi/ | /ˈpɔːl/ |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a From Late Greek 'gregoros' ('watchful, alert'), via the Latin Gregorius origin, while Paul is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Gregory has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Paul.
- Gregory's recorded meaning differs from Paul's — see the table above for each.
- 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
Paul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #73 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys