Gregory vs Pierce
Gregory and Piercecompared 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 2009, Gregory was ranked #390 and Pierce #390 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Gregory was ranked #829 and Pierce #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Gregory was ranked #1460 and Pierce #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Gregory and Pierce over time
Gregory and Pierce appear together in 2 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Gregory held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Pierce 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Gregory and Pierce changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2025, ending at #829 and #676.
- Longest-running competitions
Gregory and Pierce were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 60 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #829 and #676.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Gregory #117 in 1997, Pierce #365 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2025
Gregory held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Pierce in 22.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #72 in 1967, Pierce #132 in 1969.
The order changed in 2020: Pierce moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #506 and #564; by 2020 that had become #741 and #459.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gregory #829, Pierce #676.
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2024
Gregory held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Pierce in 0.
Highest recorded here: Gregory #117 in 1997, Pierce #365 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gregory #1460, Pierce #4270.
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 | Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| 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); Pierce does not have one recorded yet.
- Gregory has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Pierce.
- A meaning is recorded for Gregory; Pierce doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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
Pierce
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #155 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 recorded1997–2020
Highest recorded position: #122 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1997–2020).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys