Ronald vs Shaun
Ronald and Shauncompared 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 1969, Ronald was ranked #98 and Shaun #56 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1972, Ronald was ranked #88 and Shaun #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2012, Ronald was ranked #718 and Shaun #310 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ronald was ranked #619 and Shaun #727 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ronald was ranked #796 and Shaun #1162 among boys in England and Wales.
Ronald and Shaun over time
Ronald and Shaun appear together in 3 published lists, across 69 years of shared records. Shaun held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ronald in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ronald reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Shaun 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 moved ahead of the other
In 1977, Shaun moved ahead of Ronald in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #164 and #179 the year before became #208 and #124.
- Longest-running competitions
Ronald and Shaun were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 32 years, from 1966 to 2012, ending at #718 and #310.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys32 shared years, 1966–2012
Ronald held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Shaun in 22.
Highest recorded here: Ronald #96 in 1968, Shaun #81 in 1993.
The order changed in 1977: Shaun moved ahead. In 1976 they stood at #164 and #179; by 1977 that had become #208 and #124.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Ronald #718, Shaun #310.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ronald held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Shaun in 21.
Highest recorded here: Ronald #564 in 2018, Shaun #76 in 1996.
The order changed in 2017: Ronald moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #748 and #616; by 2017 that had become #684 and #709.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ronald #796, Shaun #1162.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys8 shared years, 1965–1972
Ronald held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Shaun in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ronald #58 in 1965, Shaun #62 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1972: Ronald #88, Shaun #86.
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 | Ronald | Shaun |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #619 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ronald has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shaun.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Ronald
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #202 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1972
Highest recorded position: #24 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1972).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #796 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Shaun
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #84 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1967–1999
Highest recorded position: #34 among boys in New Zealand, in 1988 (recorded 1967–1999).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys