Mason vs Ralph
Mason and Ralphcompared 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, Mason was ranked #25 and Ralph #246 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Mason was ranked #61 and Ralph #239 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Mason was ranked #75 and Ralph #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Mason was ranked #77 and Ralph #96 among boys in England and Wales.
Mason and Ralph over time
Mason and Ralph appear together in 3 published lists, across 67 years of shared records. Mason held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ralph 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.
Mason reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Ralph 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Mason and Ralph were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #77 and #96.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Mason held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Ralph in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mason #27 in 2013, Ralph #81 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mason #77, Ralph #96.
Republic of Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 1998–2025
Mason held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Ralph in 2.
Highest recorded here: Mason #32 in 2022, Ralph #280 in 1998.
The order changed in 2007: Mason moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #493 and #423; by 2007 that had become #241 and #629.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mason #75, Ralph #372.
Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2006–2024
Mason held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Ralph in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mason #15 in 2014, Ralph #193 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mason #61, Ralph #239.
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 | Mason | Ralph |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Originally an occupational surname/vocabulary word meaning 'stoneworker', later adopted as a given name. The deeper root of the word itself is disputed among etymologists — a Germanic (Frankish) origin versus an alternative Medieval Latin source. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English surname, from Old French masson/macon | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmeɪsən/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #56 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #96 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Mason has a recorded origin (English surname, from Old French masson/macon); Ralph does not have one recorded yet.
- Mason has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ralph.
- A meaning is recorded for Mason; Ralph doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Mason
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #339 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2000–2023
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New Zealand, in 2014 (recorded 2000–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #77 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Ralph
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #214 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #81 among boys in England and Wales, in 2019 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #96 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys