Anthony vs Mervyn
Anthony and Mervyncompared 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 Zealand · Boys
In 1957, Anthony was ranked #14 and Mervyn #95 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1989, Anthony was ranked #27 and Mervyn #278 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2017, Anthony was ranked #150 and Mervyn #3996 among boys in England and Wales.
Anthony and Mervyn over time
Anthony and Mervyn appear together in 2 published lists, across 34 years of shared records. Anthony held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mervyn 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 Mervyn 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Anthony #12 in 1964, Mervyn #136 in 1964.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 1964–1989
Anthony held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Mervyn in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anthony #12 in 1964, Mervyn #136 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1989: Anthony #27, Mervyn #278.
England and Wales · Boys11 shared years, 1998–2017
Anthony held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Mervyn in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anthony #74 in 1998, Mervyn #1962 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Anthony #150, Mervyn #3996.
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 | Mervyn |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #135 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #3996 (2017) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Anthony has a recorded origin (Etruscan (unknown origin)); Mervyn does not have one recorded yet.
- Anthony has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Mervyn.
- A meaning is recorded for Anthony; Mervyn doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Mervyn
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #85 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 recorded1954–1957
Highest recorded position: #85 among boys in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1957).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #3996 among boys in England and Wales, in 2017.
England and Wales · Boys