Mac vs Tadhg
Mac and Tadhgcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Mac was ranked #520 and Tadhg #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Mac was ranked #414 and Tadhg #101 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Mac was ranked #139 and Tadhg #307 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Mac was ranked #1025 and Tadhg #406 among boys in England and Wales.
Mac and Tadhg over time
Mac and Tadhg appear together in 2 published lists, across 45 years of shared records. Tadhg held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mac 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.
Mac reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Tadhg 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 Tadhg changed places 9 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1025 and #406.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Mac #754 in 2023, Tadhg #406 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Mac held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Tadhg in 19.
Highest recorded here: Mac #754 in 2023, Tadhg #406 in 2024.
The order changed in 2015: Tadhg moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #1560 and #1630; by 2015 that had become #1786 and #996.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mac #1025, Tadhg #406.
Republic of Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 1969–2024
Mac held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Tadhg in 15.
Highest recorded here: Mac #230 in 1972, Tadhg #6 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mac #520, Tadhg #6.
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 | Tadhg |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally interpreted as 'poet'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈtˠəiɡ/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #8 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Tadhg has a recorded origin (Irish); Mac does not have one recorded yet.
- Mac and Tadhg both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Tadhg; Mac doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
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
Tadhg
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 recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #8 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys