Keith vs Tiernan
Keith and Tiernancompared 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 2010, Keith was ranked #339 and Tiernan #68 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Keith was ranked #577 and Tiernan #115 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Keith was ranked #3688 and Tiernan #2921 among boys in England and Wales.
Keith and Tiernan over time
Keith and Tiernan appear together in 3 published lists, across 93 years of shared records. Keith held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Tiernan in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Keith reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Tiernan 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.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2005, Tiernan moved ahead of Keith in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #123 and #138 the year before became #127 and #111.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Keith and Tiernan changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #3688 and #2921.
- Longest-running competitions
Keith and Tiernan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 52 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #577 and #115.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys52 shared years, 1964–2025
Keith held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Tiernan in 18.
Highest recorded here: Keith #17 in 1975, Tiernan #105 in 2020.
The order changed in 2005: Tiernan moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #123 and #138; by 2005 that had become #127 and #111.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Keith #577, Tiernan #115.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Keith held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Tiernan in 7.
Highest recorded here: Keith #379 in 1996, Tiernan #697 in 1999.
The order changed in 2018: Tiernan moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #2324 and #3996; by 2018 that had become #1786 and #1786.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Keith #3688, Tiernan #2921.
Northern Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 1997–2010
Keith held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Tiernan in 12.
Highest recorded here: Keith #143 in 1997, Tiernan #54 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Keith #339, Tiernan #68.
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 | Keith | Tiernan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #115 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Keith has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Tiernan.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Keith
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #40 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1975 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Tiernan
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #232 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 recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #52 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #115 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys