Ross vs Roy
Ross and Roycompared 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 1955, Ross was ranked #26 and Roy #88 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1955, Ross was ranked #39 and Roy #99 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2005, Ross was ranked #80 and Roy #265 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ross was ranked #307 and Roy #619 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ross was ranked #329 and Roy #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ross was ranked #3254 and Roy #800 among boys in England and Wales.
Ross and Roy over time
Ross and Roy appear together in 2 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Ross held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Roy in 0.
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.
Roy reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Ross 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1976, Ross moved ahead of Roy in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #177 and #106 the year before became #89 and #115.
- Longest-running competitions
Ross and Roy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 59 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #329 and #829.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Ross #60 in 1997, Roy #399 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys59 shared years, 1964–2025
Ross held the stronger position in 48 of those years, Roy in 11.
Highest recorded here: Ross #39 in 1998, Roy #101 in 1969.
The order changed in 1976: Ross moved ahead. In 1975 they stood at #177 and #106; by 1976 that had become #89 and #115.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ross #329, Roy #829.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ross held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Roy in 5.
Highest recorded here: Ross #60 in 1997, Roy #399 in 1996.
The order changed in 2020: Roy moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #894 and #1030; by 2020 that had become #1723 and #1150.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ross #3254, Roy #800.
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 | Ross | Roy |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 | 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 #329 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ross and Roy both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Ross
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #36 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 recorded1954–1985
Highest recorded position: #25 among boys in New Zealand, in 1957 (recorded 1954–1985).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Roy
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #88 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2024
Highest recorded position: #29 among boys in Norway, in 1967 (recorded 1945–2024).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys