Owen vs Scott
Owen and Scottcompared 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 1960, Owen was ranked #91 and Scott #87 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Owen was ranked #95 and Scott #199 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Owen was ranked #155 and Scott #1025 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Owen was ranked #317 and Scott #198 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Owen was ranked #216 and Scott #239 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Owen and Scott over time
Owen and Scott appear together in 3 published lists, across 112 years of shared records. Owen held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Scott in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Owen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Scott 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In England and Wales · Boys, Owen moved into the top 50 at #40 in 1998 as Scott fell out of it to #60, having been #50 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1998, Owen moved ahead of Scott in England and Wales · Boys — #74 and #50 the year before became #40 and #60.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Owen and Scott changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #216 and #239.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 27 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Owen and Scott averaged 49.7 places apart, ending at #216 and #239.
- Longest-running competitions
Owen and Scott were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 56 years, from 1970 to 2025, ending at #317 and #198.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys56 shared years, 1970–2025
Owen held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Scott in 28.
Highest recorded here: Owen #68 in 1978, Scott #42 in 2004.
The order changed in 2024: Scott moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #215 and #224; by 2024 that had become #374 and #187.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Owen #317, Scott #198.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Owen held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Scott in 2.
Highest recorded here: Owen #31 in 2002, Scott #48 in 1996.
The order changed in 1998: Owen moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #74 and #50; by 1998 that had become #40 and #60.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Owen #155, Scott #1025.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024
Owen held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Scott in 10.
Highest recorded here: Owen #46 in 1999, Scott #36 in 2004.
The order changed in 2014: Owen moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #161 and #138; by 2014 that had become #118 and #128.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Owen #216, Scott #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 | Owen | Scott |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An English/Scottish surname referring to a person from Scotland or a Scottish Gaelic speaker, from Latin 'Scoti' ('Gael, Gaelic speaker') — the ultimate origin of that Latin term is itself uncertain. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English/Scottish (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈskɑt/ | |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #317 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #198 (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
- Scott has a recorded origin (English/Scottish (surname origin)); Owen does not have one recorded yet.
- Owen has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Scott.
- A meaning is recorded for Scott; Owen doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Owen
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #31 among boys in England and Wales, in 2002 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #317 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Scott
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #75 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1957–1999
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1973 (recorded 1957–1999).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #365 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys