Neil vs Philip
Neil and Philipcompared 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 Zealand · Boys
In 1979, Neil was ranked #90 and Philip #56 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1985, Neil was ranked #98 and Philip #89 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Neil was ranked #372 and Philip #309 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Neil was ranked #352 and Philip #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Neil was ranked #968 and Philip #461 among boys in England and Wales.
Neil and Philip over time
Neil and Philip appear together in 5 published lists, across 163 years of shared records. Philip held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Neil in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Neil reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Philip 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
Neil and Philip changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1952 and 1985, ending at #98 and #89.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 31 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Neil and Philip averaged 9.1 places apart, ending at #98 and #89.
- Longest-running competitions
Neil and Philip were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 31 years, from 1952 to 1985, ending at #98 and #89.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Neil #232 in 1996, Philip #103 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Neil held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Philip in 61.
Highest recorded here: Neil #55 in 1978, Philip #30 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Neil #372, Philip #309.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys31 shared years, 1952–1985
Neil held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Philip in 27.
Highest recorded here: Neil #32 in 1955, Philip #29 in 1958.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1985: Neil #98, Philip #89.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Neil held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Philip in 29.
Highest recorded here: Neil #232 in 1996, Philip #103 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Neil #968, Philip #461.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 1954–1979
Neil held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Philip in 20.
Highest recorded here: Neil #30 in 1956, Philip #20 in 1963.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1979: Neil #90, Philip #56.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 1997–2022
Neil held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Philip in 17.
Highest recorded here: Neil #84 in 1997, Philip #51 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Neil #352, Philip #311.
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 | Neil | Philip |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) | Norway · Boys #91 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Neil has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Philip.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Neil
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #42 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1979
Highest recorded position: #30 among boys in New Zealand, in 1956 (recorded 1954–1979).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Philip
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #341 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1992
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New Zealand, in 1963 (recorded 1954–1992).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #91 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys