Mac vs Ruairi
Mac and Ruairicompared 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 2022, Mac was ranked #414 and Ruairi #84 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1996, Mac was ranked #369 and Ruairi #118 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Mac was ranked #139 and Ruairi #138 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Mac was ranked #1025 and Ruairi #545 among boys in England and Wales.
Mac and Ruairi over time
Mac and Ruairi appear together in 2 published lists, across 42 years of shared records. Ruairi held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mac in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Mac reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ruairi 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Mac and Ruairi changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1025 and #545.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Mac #754 in 2023, Ruairi #494 in 2023.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Mac held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Ruairi in 26.
Highest recorded here: Mac #754 in 2023, Ruairi #494 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mac #1025, Ruairi #545.
Republic of Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 1969–1996
Mac held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Ruairi in 11.
Highest recorded here: Mac #230 in 1972, Ruairi #111 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Mac #369, Ruairi #118.
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 | Mac | Ruairi |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The Scottish Gaelic form of Ruaidhrí, combining 'rúad' (red) with 'rí' (king) — 'red king'. The Irish form is spelled Ruairí. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Scottish Gaelic (this spelling), cognate with the Irish Ruairí |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈrˠuə.ɾʲɪ/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Ruairidh, Ruaraidh, Ruairí, Rory, Roderick |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #139 (2024) | Northern Ireland · Boys #61 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Ruairi has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic (this spelling), cognate with the Irish Ruairí); Mac does not have one recorded yet.
- Mac has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Ruairi.
- A meaning is recorded for Ruairi; Mac doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Mac a "medium" Data Confidence level and Ruairi a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Mac
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #270 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1025 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Ruairi
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #256 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — 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: #54 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #545 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys