Aaron vs Harry
Aaron and Harrycompared 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, Aaron was ranked #187 and Harry #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Harry #20 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2019, Aaron was ranked #86 and Harry #20 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #71 and Harry #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Harry #31 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2016, Aaron was ranked #88 and Harry #45 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Aaron was ranked #172 and Harry #431 among boys in Norway.
Aaron and Harry over time
Aaron and Harry appear together in 6 published lists, across 170 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Aaron in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Aaron reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Harry 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 2002, Harry moved ahead of Aaron in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #40 and #48 the year before became #49 and #44.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Aaron and Harry changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1972 and 2019, ending at #172 and #431.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 24 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Aaron and Harry averaged 41.3 places apart, ending at #86 and #20.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and Harry were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 56 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #71 and #25.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys56 shared years, 1965–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Harry in 15.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #6 in 1998, Harry #6 in 2018.
The order changed in 2011: Harry moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #13 and #20; by 2011 that had become #16 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Harry #25.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harry in 29.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Harry #1 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Harry #20.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Harry in 16.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 2000, Harry #4 in 2012.
The order changed in 2009: Harry moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #14 and #16; by 2009 that had become #14 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, Harry #13.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys24 shared years, 1992–2019
Aaron held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Harry in 15.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #22 in 1992, Harry #20 in 2019.
The order changed in 2002: Harry moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #40 and #48; by 2002 that had become #49 and #44.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Aaron #86, Harry #20.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 1994–2016
Aaron held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Harry in 15.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #27 in 1994, Harry #36 in 2014.
The order changed in 2000: Harry moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #55 and #66; by 2000 that had become #63 and #58.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Aaron #88, Harry #45.
Norway · Boys12 shared years, 1972–2019
Aaron held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Harry in 7.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #172 in 2019, Harry #396 in 1990.
The order changed in 2017: Aaron moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #453 and #410; by 2017 that had become #175 and #478.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Aaron #172, Harry #431.
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 | Harry |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | A diminutive/pet form, inheriting its meaning from Henry — 'home ruler' — and functioning, in modern times, as a nickname for both Henry and names beginning with 'Har-'. During the Middle Ages in England, Henry was generally rendered as Harry or Herry in English pronunciation. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | /ˈhæri/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 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 #71 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| 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 Harry is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin.
- Aaron and Harry both have 2 syllables.
- Aaron's recorded meaning differs from Harry'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
Harry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #70 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #39 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys