Andrew vs Richard
Andrew and Richardcompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1997, Andrew was ranked #23 and Richard #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1999, Andrew was ranked #36 and Richard #81 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Andrew was ranked #104 and Richard #619 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Andrew was ranked #106 and Richard #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Andrew was ranked #177 and Richard #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Andrew was ranked #315 and Richard #398 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2021, Andrew was ranked #458 and Richard #382 among boys in Norway.
Andrew and Richard over time
Andrew and Richard appear together in 6 published lists, across 268 years of shared records. Andrew held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Richard 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.
Richard reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Andrew in 2. 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 1961, Andrew moved ahead of Richard in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #17 and #16 the year before became #16 and #20.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 46 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Andrew and Richard averaged 29.9 places apart, ending at #23 and #98.
- Longest-running competitions
Andrew and Richard were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 46 years, from 1952 to 1997, ending at #23 and #98.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Andrew #29 in 1996, Richard #62 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Andrew held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Richard in 15.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #16 in 1992, Richard #20 in 1986.
The order changed in 1981: Andrew moved ahead. In 1980 they stood at #30 and #29; by 1981 that had become #26 and #28.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Andrew #106, Richard #232.
Norway · Boys61 shared years, 1946–2021
Andrew held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Richard in 60.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #206 in 1963, Richard #80 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Andrew #458, Richard #382.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys46 shared years, 1952–1997
Andrew held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Richard in 9.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #4 in 1970, Richard #16 in 1960.
The order changed in 1961: Andrew moved ahead. In 1960 they stood at #17 and #16; by 1961 that had become #16 and #20.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Andrew #23, Richard #98.
New Zealand · Boys46 shared years, 1954–1999
Andrew held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Richard in 7.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #2 in 1975, Richard #9 in 1965.
The order changed in 1961: Andrew moved ahead. In 1960 they stood at #18 and #12; by 1961 that had become #9 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 1999: Andrew #36, Richard #81.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Andrew held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #29 in 1996, Richard #62 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Andrew #315, Richard #398.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2022
Andrew held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: Andrew #5 in 1997, Richard #77 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Andrew #177, Richard #311.
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 | Andrew | Richard |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | The English form of Greek Andreas, from 'andreios' ('manly, masculine'), itself from 'aner' ('man'). The apostle Andrew was the first disciple to join Jesus and is patron saint of Scotland. | From Old German elements 'rih' (ruler, king) and 'hart' (hard, firm, brave, hardy) — 'brave ruler'. Introduced to England by the Normans in the 11th century. |
| Origin | Greek, biblical | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæn.dɹuː/ | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.əɹd/ |
| 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 #106 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Andrew is recorded with a Greek, biblical origin, while Richard is recorded with a Germanic origin.
- Andrew and Richard both have 2 syllables.
- Andrew's recorded meaning differs from Richard'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
Andrew
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–2013
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in New Zealand, in 1975 (recorded 1954–2013).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #106 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Richard
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #219 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1999
Highest recorded position: #9 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1999).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys