Patrick vs Shane
Patrick 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Patrick was ranked #25 and Shane #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Patrick was ranked #26 and Shane #216 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1996, Patrick was ranked #36 and Shane #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1998, Patrick was ranked #50 and Shane #90 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Patrick was ranked #120 and Shane #857 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Patrick was ranked #125 and Shane #478 among boys in Scotland.
Patrick and Shane over time
Patrick and Shane appear together in 5 published lists, across 205 years of shared records. Patrick held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Shane in 2.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
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
Patrick and Shane changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2025, ending at #25 and #152.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 43 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Patrick and Shane averaged 27.4 places apart, ending at #36 and #83.
- Longest-running competitions
Patrick and Shane were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 43 years, from 1954 to 1996, ending at #36 and #83.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Patrick #66 in 1996, Shane #74 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #66 and #74 in England and Wales · Boys, 8 places apart; by 2024 they were #120 and #857.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Patrick held the stronger position in 48 of those years, Shane in 14.
Highest recorded here: Patrick #2 in 1964, Shane #3 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Patrick #25, Shane #152.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys43 shared years, 1954–1996
Patrick held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Shane in 31.
Highest recorded here: Patrick #30 in 1994, Shane #15 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Patrick #36, Shane #83.
New Zealand · Boys43 shared years, 1955–1998
Patrick held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Shane in 30.
Highest recorded here: Patrick #45 in 1967, Shane #12 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Patrick #50, Shane #90.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Patrick held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Shane in 0.
Highest recorded here: Patrick #66 in 1996, Shane #74 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Patrick #120, Shane #857.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Patrick held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Shane in 0.
Highest recorded here: Patrick #18 in 2003, Shane #41 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Patrick #26, 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 | Patrick | Shane |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Latin Patricius, meaning 'nobleman, patrician'. Adopted by Saint Patrick (originally named Sucat), a Romanized Briton who Christianized Ireland and became its patron saint. | 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 | /ˈpæt.ɹɪk/ | /ˈʃeɪn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Pádraig, Pádraic | 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 #25 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #152 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Patrick is recorded with a Latin origin, while Shane is recorded with a Hebrew, via Irish Seán origin.
- Patrick and Shane both have 2 syllables.
- Patrick'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.
How each name got here
Patrick
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #315 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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 #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys