Anthony vs Lance
Anthony and Lancecompared 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 1961, Anthony was ranked #10 and Lance #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1991, Anthony was ranked #39 and Lance #99 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2005, Anthony was ranked #75 and Lance #518 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Anthony was ranked #216 and Lance #1595 among boys in England and Wales.
Anthony and Lance over time
Anthony and Lance appear together in 2 published lists, across 64 years of shared records. Anthony held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Lance in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Anthony reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Lance 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 35 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Anthony and Lance averaged 51.5 places apart, ending at #39 and #99.
- Longest-running competitions
Anthony and Lance were both ranked in New Zealand · Boys for 35 years, from 1954 to 1991, ending at #39 and #99.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Anthony #65 in 1996, Lance #513 in 1996.
List by list
New Zealand · Boys35 shared years, 1954–1991
Anthony held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Lance in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anthony #11 in 1959, Lance #43 in 1983.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Anthony #39, Lance #99.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anthony held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Lance in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anthony #65 in 1996, Lance #513 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anthony #216, Lance #1595.
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 | Lance |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Etruscan (unknown origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæn.θə.ni/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #135 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1595 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Etruscan (unknown origin)); Lance does not have one recorded yet.
- Anthony has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Lance.
- A meaning is recorded for Anthony; Lance doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, 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
Lance
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #94 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1991
Highest recorded position: #43 among boys in New Zealand, in 1983 (recorded 1954–1991).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1595 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys