Hayden vs Ray
Hayden and Raycompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Hayden was ranked #223 and Ray #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Hayden was ranked #268 and Ray #404 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Hayden was ranked #272 and Ray #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Hayden was ranked #279 and Ray #613 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Hayden was ranked #5891 and Ray #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Hayden and Ray over time
Hayden and Ray appear together in 3 published lists, across 56 years of shared records. Hayden held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ray 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.
Hayden reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Ray 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Hayden held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Ray in 0.
Highest recorded here: Hayden #71 in 2008, Ray #429 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hayden #279, Ray #613.
Republic of Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 1992–2025
Hayden held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Ray in 0.
Highest recorded here: Hayden #177 in 2009, Ray #267 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hayden #223, Ray #676.
England and Wales · Girls9 shared years, 2011–2024
Hayden held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Ray in 2.
Highest recorded here: Hayden #2040 in 2019, Ray #2000 in 2024.
The order changed in 2024: Ray moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #2346 and #2927; by 2024 that had become #5891 and #2000.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hayden #5891, Ray #2000.
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 | Hayden | Ray |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #223 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 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
- Hayden has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ray.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Hayden
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #67 among boys in New Zealand in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1974–2012
Highest recorded position: #26 among boys in New Zealand, in 1994 (recorded 1974–2012).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #223 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Ray
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #265 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #251 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1967–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys