Kenneth vs Tommy
Kenneth and Tommycompared 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #535 and Tommy #20 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #785 and Tommy #21 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #968 and Tommy #39 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2007, Kenneth was ranked #315 and Tommy #357 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2021, Kenneth was ranked #475 and Tommy #450 among boys in Norway.
Kenneth and Tommy over time
Kenneth and Tommy appear together in 3 published lists, across 146 years of shared records. Tommy held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kenneth in 1.
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.
Kenneth reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Tommy in 1. 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 2004, Tommy moved ahead of Kenneth in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #184 and #207 the year before became #263 and #146.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Kenneth and Tommy changed places 16 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2021, ending at #475 and #450.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 76 shared years in Norway · Boys, Kenneth and Tommy averaged 29.3 places apart, ending at #475 and #450.
- Longest-running competitions
Kenneth and Tommy were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 76 years, from 1945 to 2021, ending at #475 and #450.
List by list
Norway · Boys76 shared years, 1945–2021
Kenneth held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Tommy in 49.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #10 in 1979, Tommy #11 in 1976.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Kenneth #475, Tommy #450.
Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1980–2024
Kenneth held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Tommy in 20.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #41 in 1980, Tommy #21 in 2024.
The order changed in 2004: Tommy moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #184 and #207; by 2004 that had become #263 and #146.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kenneth #785, Tommy #21.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Kenneth held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Tommy in 29.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #345 in 1996, Tommy #22 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kenneth #968, Tommy #39.
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 | Tommy |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #27 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kenneth has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic); Tommy does not have one recorded yet.
- Kenneth and Tommy both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kenneth; Tommy doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Tommy
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #268 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2024
Highest recorded position: #11 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2023 (recorded 1999–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys