Anthony vs Craig
Anthony and Craigcompared 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 1991, Anthony was ranked #24 and Craig #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1992, Anthony was ranked #40 and Craig #90 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Anthony was ranked #103 and Craig #516 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Anthony was ranked #142 and Craig #415 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Anthony was ranked #152 and Craig #478 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Anthony was ranked #216 and Craig #2263 among boys in England and Wales.
Anthony and Craig over time
Anthony and Craig appear together in 5 published lists, across 183 years of shared records. Anthony held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Craig in 1.
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.
Anthony reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Craig 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 2002, Anthony moved ahead of Craig in Northern Ireland · Boys — #103 and #100 the year before became #90 and #92.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Anthony and Craig changed places 8 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1953 and 1991, ending at #24 and #97.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 39 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Anthony and Craig averaged 16.6 places apart, ending at #24 and #97.
- Longest-running competitions
Anthony and Craig were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 39 years, from 1953 to 1991, ending at #24 and #97.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Anthony #65 in 1996, Craig #81 in 1996.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #70 and #68 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 2 places apart; by 2015 they were #142 and #415.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys59 shared years, 1964–2023
Anthony held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Craig in 8.
Highest recorded here: Anthony #12 in 1964, Craig #39 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Anthony #103, Craig #516.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys39 shared years, 1953–1991
Anthony held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Craig in 7.
Highest recorded here: Anthony #8 in 1968, Craig #8 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Anthony #24, Craig #97.
New Zealand · Boys39 shared years, 1954–1992
Anthony held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Craig in 22.
Highest recorded here: Anthony #11 in 1959, Craig #6 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1992: Anthony #40, Craig #90.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anthony held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Craig in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anthony #65 in 1996, Craig #81 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anthony #216, Craig #2263.
Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 1997–2015
Anthony held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Craig in 5.
Highest recorded here: Anthony #70 in 1997, Craig #68 in 1997.
The order changed in 2002: Anthony moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #103 and #100; by 2002 that had become #90 and #92.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Anthony #142, Craig #415.
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 | Anthony | Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | 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. | From the Scottish surname derived from Gaelic 'creag', meaning 'crag, rocks, outcrop' — originally denoting someone who lived near a crag. |
| Origin | Etruscan (unknown origin) | Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæn.θə.ni/ | /ˈkɹeɪɡ/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #135 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #478 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Anthony is recorded with a Etruscan (unknown origin) origin, while Craig is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) origin.
- Anthony has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Craig.
- Anthony's recorded meaning differs from Craig's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
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
Craig
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #79 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1992
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1954–1992).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2263 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys