Ronan vs Sullivan
Ronan and Sullivancompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ronan was ranked #25 and Sullivan #404 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ronan was ranked #75 and Sullivan #307 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ronan was ranked #268 and Sullivan #269 among boys in England and Wales.
Ronan and Sullivan over time
Ronan and Sullivan appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Ronan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Sullivan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ronan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Sullivan 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ronan held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sullivan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ronan #139 in 1999, Sullivan #269 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ronan #268, Sullivan #269.
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 | Ronan | Sullivan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally interpreted as 'little seal'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹoʊnən/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #86 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #269 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ronan has a recorded origin (Irish); Sullivan does not have one recorded yet.
- Ronan has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Sullivan.
- A meaning is recorded for Ronan; Sullivan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT.
How each name got here
Ronan
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #67 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 recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2019 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #86 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Sullivan
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2020 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #269 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #269 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys