Archie vs Sebastian
Archie and Sebastiancompared 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Archie was ranked #10 and Sebastian #116 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Archie was ranked #11 and Sebastian #47 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Archie was ranked #20 and Sebastian #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Archie was ranked #26 and Sebastian #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Archie was ranked #27 and Sebastian #52 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Archie was ranked #46 and Sebastian #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Archie and Sebastian over time
Archie and Sebastian appear together in 5 published lists, across 111 years of shared records. Archie held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Sebastian in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Sebastian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Archie 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 moved ahead of the other
In 1999, Archie moved ahead of Sebastian in England and Wales · Boys — #120 and #112 the year before became #108 and #112.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Archie and Sebastian changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 2007 and 2025, ending at #26 and #31.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Archie and Sebastian averaged 31.6 places apart, ending at #11 and #47.
- Longest-running competitions
Archie and Sebastian were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #11 and #47.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Archie #9 in 2020, Sebastian #28 in 2018.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Archie held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Sebastian in 3.
Highest recorded here: Archie #9 in 2020, Sebastian #28 in 2018.
The order changed in 1999: Archie moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #120 and #112; by 1999 that had become #108 and #112.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Archie #11, Sebastian #47.
Republic of Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 2001–2025
Archie held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Sebastian in 16.
Highest recorded here: Archie #46 in 2025, Sebastian #80 in 2017.
The order changed in 2018: Archie moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #100 and #80; by 2018 that had become #89 and #93.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Archie #46, Sebastian #125.
Northern Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 2002–2024
Archie held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sebastian in 2.
Highest recorded here: Archie #18 in 2020, Sebastian #102 in 2015.
The order changed in 2004: Archie moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #263 and #229; by 2004 that had become #235 and #305.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Archie #20, Sebastian #154.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys19 shared years, 2007–2025
Archie held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Sebastian in 5.
Highest recorded here: Archie #14 in 2021, Sebastian #20 in 2022.
The order changed in 2016: Archie moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #33 and #32; by 2016 that had become #34 and #36.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Archie #26, Sebastian #31.
New Zealand · Boys15 shared years, 2008–2023
Archie held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Sebastian in 1.
Highest recorded here: Archie #17 in 2022, Sebastian #52 in 2018.
The order changed in 2010: Archie moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #88 and #76; by 2010 that had become #83 and #87.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Archie #27, Sebastian #52.
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 | Sebastian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Genuine, bold; from Germanic elements meaning roughly 'genuinely brave'. | Traditionally interpreted as 'venerable' or 'revered' — from Latin Sebastianus, 'from Sebaste' (a city in Asia Minor), whose own name derives from a Greek word used to translate the Roman imperial title Augustus. |
| Origin | Germanic, via Archibald | Latin, from Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹtʃi/ | /səˈbæstʃən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Archy, Archibald | Not yet recorded |
| 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 | England and Wales · Boys #11 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #31 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 65/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Archie is recorded with a Germanic, via Archibald origin, while Sebastian is recorded with a Latin, from Greek origin.
- Archie has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Sebastian.
- Archie's recorded meaning differs from Sebastian's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Archie a "high" Data Confidence level and Sebastian a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #9 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Sebastian
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #415 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1968–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1968–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys