Keelan vs Ned
Keelan and Nedcompared 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, Keelan was ranked #211 and Ned #272 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Keelan was ranked #348 and Ned #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Keelan was ranked #2014 and Ned #735 among boys in England and Wales.
Keelan and Ned over time
Keelan and Ned appear together in 2 published lists, across 55 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.
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
Keelan and Ned changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2025, ending at #2014 and #735.
- Longest-running competitions
Keelan and Ned were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #2014 and #735.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Keelan #286 in 2004, Ned #360 in 2003.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Keelan held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Ned in 19.
Highest recorded here: Keelan #286 in 2004, Ned #360 in 2003.
The order changed in 2012: Ned moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #528 and #546; by 2012 that had become #619 and #538.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Keelan #2014, Ned #735.
Republic of Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1989–2025
Keelan held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Ned in 3.
Highest recorded here: Keelan #115 in 1999, Ned #193 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Keelan #211, Ned #272.
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 | Keelan | Ned |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #211 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #272 (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
- Keelan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ned.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Keelan
Popularity journey
First recorded1980
First recorded at #321 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1980 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2023
Highest recorded position: #111 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 1997–2023).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2014 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Ned
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #307 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1989–2025
Highest recorded position: #193 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 1989–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #735 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys