Anthony vs Raphael
Anthony and Raphaelcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Anthony was ranked #135 and Raphael #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Anthony was ranked #152 and Raphael #268 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Anthony was ranked #216 and Raphael #158 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Anthony was ranked #192 and Raphael #326 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Anthony was ranked #451 and Raphael #415 among boys in Norway.
Anthony and Raphael over time
Anthony and Raphael appear together in 2 published lists, across 76 years of shared records. Anthony held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Raphael in 0.
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 1 of those lists, and Raphael 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 2021, Raphael moved ahead of Anthony in England and Wales · Boys — #166 and #182 the year before became #202 and #180.
- Longest-running competitions
Anthony and Raphael were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 47 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #135 and #468.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Anthony #12 in 1965, Raphael #170 in 1965.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1965–2025
Anthony held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Raphael in 0.
Highest recorded here: Anthony #12 in 1965, Raphael #170 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anthony #135, Raphael #468.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Anthony held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Raphael in 4.
Highest recorded here: Anthony #65 in 1996, Raphael #156 in 2023.
The order changed in 2021: Raphael moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #166 and #182; by 2021 that had become #202 and #180.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anthony #216, Raphael #158.
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 | Raphael |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #135 (2025) | Norway · Boys #415 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Anthony has a recorded origin (Etruscan (unknown origin)); Raphael does not have one recorded yet.
- Anthony has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Raphael.
- A meaning is recorded for Anthony; Raphael doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
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
Raphael
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #156 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys