Kenneth vs Pearse
Kenneth and Pearsecompared 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 2007, Kenneth was ranked #315 and Pearse #143 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #785 and Pearse #520 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #535 and Pearse #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2017, Kenneth was ranked #1021 and Pearse #4812 among boys in England and Wales.
Kenneth and Pearse over time
Kenneth and Pearse appear together in 2 published lists, across 67 years of shared records. Kenneth held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Pearse 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.
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
Kenneth and Pearse changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1965 and 2024, ending at #785 and #520.
- Longest-running competitions
Kenneth and Pearse were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 57 years, from 1965 to 2024, ending at #785 and #520.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Kenneth #345 in 1996, Pearse #1578 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys57 shared years, 1965–2024
Kenneth held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Pearse in 13.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #26 in 1972, Pearse #93 in 1966.
The order changed in 2024: Pearse moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #572 and #657; by 2024 that had become #785 and #520.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kenneth #785, Pearse #520.
England and Wales · Boys10 shared years, 1996–2017
Kenneth held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Pearse in 0.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #345 in 1996, Pearse #1578 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Kenneth #1021, Pearse #4812.
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 | Pearse |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| 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, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kenneth has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic); Pearse does not have one recorded yet.
- Kenneth and Pearse both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kenneth; Pearse doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
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
Pearse
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — 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: #85 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys