Abdul vs Arthur
Abdul and Arthurcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Abdul was ranked #152 and Arthur #4 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Abdul was ranked #307 and Arthur #24 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Abdul was ranked #402 and Arthur #57 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Abdul was ranked #484 and Arthur #83 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2004, Abdul was ranked #264 and Arthur #305 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Abdul and Arthur over time
Abdul and Arthur appear together in 3 published lists, across 132 years of shared records. Arthur held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Abdul in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Abdul reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Arthur 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 2004, Arthur moved ahead of Abdul in England and Wales · Boys — #146 and #168 the year before became #160 and #151.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Abdul and Arthur changed places 18 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #484 and #83.
- Longest-running competitions
Abdul and Arthur were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 77 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #484 and #83.
List by list
Norway · Boys77 shared years, 1945–2025
Abdul held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Arthur in 41.
Highest recorded here: Abdul #180 in 2000, Arthur #74 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abdul #484, Arthur #83.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Abdul held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Arthur in 21.
Highest recorded here: Abdul #146 in 2003, Arthur #3 in 2020.
The order changed in 2004: Arthur moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #146 and #168; by 2004 that had become #160 and #151.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abdul #152, Arthur #4.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1998–2025
Abdul held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Arthur in 22.
Highest recorded here: Abdul #138 in 2003, Arthur #47 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abdul #402, Arthur #57.
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 | Abdul | Arthur |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈɑɹθər/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Art, Artie |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Arthur has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman); Abdul does not have one recorded yet.
- Abdul and Arthur both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Abdul doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Abdul a "medium" Data Confidence level and Arthur a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Abdul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #238 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2025
Highest recorded position: #138 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 1998–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #484 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Arthur
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #153 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: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys