Archie vs Arthur
Archie and Arthurcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Archie was ranked #10 and Arthur #4 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Archie was ranked #10 and Arthur #24 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Archie was ranked #27 and Arthur #11 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Archie was ranked #20 and Arthur #16 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Archie was ranked #26 and Arthur #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Archie was ranked #46 and Arthur #57 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Archie and Arthur over time
Archie and Arthur appear together in 5 published lists, across 92 years of shared records. Archie held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Arthur in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Archie reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Arthur in 1. 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 took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Archie moved into the top 50 at #46 in 2025 as Arthur fell out of it to #57, having been #47 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, Arthur moved ahead of Archie in England and Wales · Boys — #18 and #19 the year before became #16 and #7.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Archie and Arthur changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 2001 and 2025, ending at #46 and #57.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Archie and Arthur averaged 53.7 places apart, ending at #10 and #4.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Archie #9 in 2020, Arthur #3 in 2020.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Archie held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Arthur in 7.
Highest recorded here: Archie #9 in 2020, Arthur #3 in 2020.
The order changed in 2018: Arthur moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #18 and #19; by 2018 that had become #16 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Archie #10, Arthur #4.
Republic of Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 2001–2025
Archie held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Arthur in 18.
Highest recorded here: Archie #46 in 2025, Arthur #47 in 2024.
The order changed in 2025: Archie moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #51 and #47; by 2025 that had become #46 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Archie #46, Arthur #57.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2004–2024
Archie held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Arthur in 6.
Highest recorded here: Archie #18 in 2020, Arthur #14 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Archie #20, Arthur #16.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 2014–2023
Archie held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Arthur in 2.
Highest recorded here: Archie #17 in 2022, Arthur #11 in 2023.
The order changed in 2022: Arthur moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #19 and #20; by 2022 that had become #17 and #12.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Archie #27, Arthur #11.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys9 shared years, 2017–2025
Archie held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Arthur in 1.
Highest recorded here: Archie #14 in 2021, Arthur #18 in 2024.
The order changed in 2025: Arthur moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #17 and #18; by 2025 that had become #26 and #19.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Archie #26, Arthur #19.
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 | Archie | Arthur |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Genuine, bold; from Germanic elements meaning roughly 'genuinely brave'. | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. |
| Origin | Germanic, via Archibald | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹtʃi/ | /ˈɑɹθər/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Archy, Archibald | Art, Artie |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #26 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Archie is recorded with a Germanic, via Archibald origin, while Arthur is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman origin.
- Archie and Arthur both have 2 syllables.
- Archie's recorded meaning differs from Arthur'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
Archie
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #192 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #9 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #26 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Arthur
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #153 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys