Allen vs Arthur
Allen 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, Allen was ranked #4270 and Arthur #4 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1960, Allen was ranked #93 and Arthur #99 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2010, Allen was ranked #720 and Arthur #178 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Allen and Arthur over time
Allen and Arthur appear together in 2 published lists, across 72 years of shared records. Arthur held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Allen in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Allen and Arthur changed places 16 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2010, ending at #720 and #178.
- Longest-running competitions
Allen and Arthur were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 43 years, from 1964 to 2010, ending at #720 and #178.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Allen #127 in 1966, Arthur #91 in 1965.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys43 shared years, 1964–2010
Allen held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Arthur in 28.
Highest recorded here: Allen #127 in 1966, Arthur #91 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Allen #720, Arthur #178.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Allen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Arthur in 29.
Highest recorded here: Allen #1079 in 2007, Arthur #3 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Allen #4270, Arthur #4.
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 | Allen | 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #4270 (2024) | 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); Allen does not have one recorded yet.
- Allen and Arthur both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Allen doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Allen 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
Allen
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #79 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 recorded1952–1960
Highest recorded position: #76 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1960).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · 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