Ryan vs Tommy
Ryan and Tommycompared 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, Ryan was ranked #104 and Tommy #20 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ryan was ranked #104 and Tommy #20 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ryan was ranked #57 and Tommy #27 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ryan was ranked #132 and Tommy #39 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Ryan was ranked #57 and Tommy #68 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Ryan was ranked #81 and Tommy #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Ryan was ranked #384 and Tommy #503 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 1997, Ryan was ranked #2411 and Tommy #3824 among girls in England and Wales.
Ryan and Tommy over time
Ryan and Tommy appear together in 4 published lists, across 137 years of shared records. Ryan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Tommy in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ryan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Tommy 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 2014, Tommy moved ahead of Ryan in England and Wales · Boys — #51 and #52 the year before became #69 and #55.
- Longest-running competitions
Ryan and Tommy were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 43 years, from 1977 to 2024, ending at #384 and #503.
List by list
Norway · Boys43 shared years, 1977–2024
Ryan held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Tommy in 32.
Highest recorded here: Ryan #249 in 2015, Tommy #20 in 1977.
The order changed in 2015: Ryan moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #507 and #431; by 2015 that had become #249 and #445.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ryan #384, Tommy #503.
Republic of Ireland · Boys43 shared years, 1980–2025
Ryan held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Tommy in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ryan #6 in 2008, Tommy #21 in 2023.
The order changed in 2023: Tommy moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #26 and #29; by 2023 that had become #33 and #21.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ryan #57, Tommy #27.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ryan held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Tommy in 11.
Highest recorded here: Ryan #7 in 1996, Tommy #22 in 2020.
The order changed in 2014: Tommy moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #51 and #52; by 2014 that had become #69 and #55.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ryan #132, Tommy #39.
Northern Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 1999–2024
Ryan held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Tommy in 6.
Highest recorded here: Ryan #2 in 1999, Tommy #11 in 2023.
The order changed in 2019: Tommy moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #37 and #58; by 2019 that had become #44 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ryan #104, Tommy #20.
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 | Ryan | Tommy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riain, a patronymic from the given name Rian. The exact meaning of Rian itself remains uncertain, despite a popular but unconfirmed 'little king' gloss. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish (surname origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹaɪ.ən/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #57 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #27 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ryan has a recorded origin (Irish (surname origin)); Tommy does not have one recorded yet.
- Ryan has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Tommy.
- A meaning is recorded for Ryan; Tommy doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Ryan
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #280 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — 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: #2 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #81 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Tommy
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #268 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2024
Highest recorded position: #11 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2023 (recorded 1999–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys