Aaron vs Anthony
Aaron and Anthonycompared 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, Aaron was ranked #71 and Anthony #135 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2005, Aaron was ranked #72 and Anthony #75 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2017, Aaron was ranked #82 and Anthony #89 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Anthony #152 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Anthony #216 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #187 and Anthony #202 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #334 and Anthony #451 among boys in Norway.
Aaron and Anthony over time
Aaron and Anthony appear together in 6 published lists, across 240 years of shared records. Aaron held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Anthony in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Anthony reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Aaron 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 2016, Aaron moved ahead of Anthony in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #91 and #88 the year before became #81 and #83.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Aaron and Anthony changed places 5 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1966 and 2005, ending at #72 and #75.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Aaron and Anthony averaged 59.0 places apart, ending at #154 and #216.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and Anthony were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 47 years, from 1969 to 2017, ending at #82 and #89.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Aaron #31 in 1998, Anthony #65 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1965–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Anthony in 25.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #6 in 1998, Anthony #12 in 1965.
The order changed in 1991: Aaron moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #36 and #26; by 1991 that had become #28 and #29.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Anthony #135.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys47 shared years, 1969–2017
Aaron held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Anthony in 29.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #18 in 1986, Anthony #9 in 1970.
The order changed in 2016: Aaron moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #91 and #88; by 2016 that had become #81 and #83.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Aaron #82, Anthony #89.
New Zealand · Boys40 shared years, 1966–2005
Aaron held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Anthony in 8.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 1972, Anthony #16 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Aaron #72, Anthony #75.
Norway · Boys36 shared years, 1972–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Anthony in 13.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #172 in 2019, Anthony #328 in 2006.
The order changed in 2006: Aaron moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #390 and #370; by 2006 that had become #210 and #328.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #334, Anthony #451.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Anthony in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Anthony #65 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Anthony #216.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Anthony in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 2000, Anthony #70 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, Anthony #202.
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 | Aaron | Anthony |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Best known as the name of Moses's elder brother and the first high priest of Israel in the Old Testament; the literal meaning of the name itself is not reliably established. | The English form of the Roman family name Antonius, of unknown Etruscan origin. Later incorrectly associated with Greek 'anthos' ('flower'), which led to the addition of the 'h' to this spelling in the 17th century. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Etruscan (unknown origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | /ˈæn.θə.ni/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| 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 #71 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #135 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aaron is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) origin, while Anthony is recorded with a Etruscan (unknown origin) origin.
- Aaron has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Anthony.
- Aaron's recorded meaning differs from Anthony's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Aaron
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Anthony
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #355 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2021
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1968 (recorded 1952–2021).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #451 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys