Hayden vs Rua

Hayden and Ruacompared 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 Rua #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Hayden was ranked #272 and Rua #232 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Hayden was ranked #279 and Rua #5119 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Hayden was ranked #5891 and Rua #2574 among girls in England and Wales.

Hayden and Rua over time

Hayden and Rua appear together in 1 published list, across 15 years of shared records. Hayden held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Rua in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Hayden reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Rua in none. 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

Republic of Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 2008–2025
Hayden held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Rua in 0.
Highest recorded here: Hayden #177 in 2009, Rua #257 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hayden #223, Rua #329.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Hayden

Pairs where Hayden shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Noah vs Hayden
Over 64 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Noah rose about as far as Hayden fell — from #225 and #124 in 1996 to #2 and #279 in 2024.
Noah · Hayden · 29 shared years, 1996–2024 · Mirrored each other
See the 2024 England and Wales ranking
Joshua vs Hayden
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Joshua #1 in 1993, Hayden #31 in 1994.
Joshua · Hayden · 28 shared years, 1987–2016 · Peaked in the same years
See the 1994 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Oliver vs Hayden
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Oliver #1 in 2009, Hayden #71 in 2008.
Oliver · Hayden · 29 shared years, 1996–2024 · Peaked in the same years
See the 2009 England and Wales ranking
Jamie vs Hayden
Across 36 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Jamie and Hayden averaged 10.0 places apart, ending at #53 and #82.
Jamie · Hayden · 36 shared years, 1974–2009 · Closest over the longest run
See the 2009 New Zealand ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Hayden, Rua
Field	Hayden	Rua
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usage	male	Used for both boys and girls
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, IE
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Boys #223 (2025)	Republic of Ireland · Boys #329 (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 Rua.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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

Rua

Popularity journey

First recorded2008
First recorded at #698 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 2008 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2010–2024
Highest recorded position: #192 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 2010–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls