Kenneth vs Macauley
Kenneth and Macauleycompared 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 2000, Kenneth was ranked #277 and Macauley #206 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #968 and Macauley #2921 among boys in England and Wales.
Kenneth and Macauley over time
Kenneth and Macauley appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Macauley held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Kenneth 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.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Kenneth #345 in 1996, Macauley #95 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Kenneth held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Macauley in 19.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #345 in 1996, Macauley #95 in 1996.
The order changed in 2019: Kenneth moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #1324 and #1235; by 2019 that had become #929 and #2488.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kenneth #968, Macauley #2921.
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 | Kenneth | Macauley |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | An Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed, of Scottish Gaelic origin. Borne by the Scottish king Kenneth mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) | England and Wales · Boys #2921 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kenneth has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic); Macauley does not have one recorded yet.
- Kenneth has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Macauley.
- A meaning is recorded for Kenneth; Macauley doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR.
How each name got here
Kenneth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2021
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #968 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Macauley
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #95 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #95 among boys in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2921 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys