Mark vs Shane
Mark and Shanecompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1996, Mark was ranked #57 and Shane #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1998, Mark was ranked #83 and Shane #90 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Mark was ranked #99 and Shane #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Mark was ranked #169 and Shane #478 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Mark was ranked #177 and Shane #216 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Mark was ranked #294 and Shane #1153 among boys in England and Wales.
Mark and Shane over time
Mark and Shane appear together in 5 published lists, across 206 years of shared records. Mark held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Shane in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Mark reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Shane 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Mark and Shane changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #177 and #216.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 43 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Mark and Shane averaged 24.3 places apart, ending at #57 and #83.
- Longest-running competitions
Mark and Shane were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #294 and #1153.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Mark #55 in 1996, Shane #74 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Mark held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Shane in 31.
Highest recorded here: Mark #7 in 1974, Shane #3 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mark #99, Shane #152.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys43 shared years, 1954–1996
Mark held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Shane in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mark #2 in 1960, Shane #15 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Mark #57, Shane #83.
New Zealand · Boys43 shared years, 1955–1998
Mark held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Shane in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mark #2 in 1974, Shane #12 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Mark #83, Shane #90.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Mark held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Shane in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mark #55 in 1996, Shane #74 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mark #294, Shane #1153.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Mark held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Shane in 6.
Highest recorded here: Mark #12 in 1999, Shane #41 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mark #177, Shane #216.
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 | Mark | Shane |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A form of the Latin name Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark authored the second Gospel and is patron saint of Venice. | An Anglicized form of Seán, ultimately from Hebrew elements meaning 'Yahweh' and 'gracious' — the same root tradition as John. Popularised in America by the 1953 western film Shane. |
| Origin | Latin | Hebrew, via Irish Seán |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɑɹk/ | /ˈʃeɪn/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Seán, Sean, Shaun, Shawn |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #99 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #152 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Mark is recorded with a Latin origin, while Shane is recorded with a Hebrew, via Irish Seán origin.
- Mark has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Shane.
- Mark's recorded meaning differs from Shane's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Mark a "medium" Data Confidence level and Shane a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Mark
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #362 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2001
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1960 (recorded 1952–2001).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #294 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Shane
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #72 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1996 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1153 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys