Arlo vs Francis
Arlo and Franciscompared 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, Arlo was ranked #15 and Francis #193 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arlo was ranked #18 and Francis #352 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Arlo was ranked #45 and Francis #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Arlo was ranked #54 and Francis #309 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Arlo was ranked #1894 and Francis #2574 among girls in England and Wales.
Arlo and Francis over time
Arlo and Francis appear together in 4 published lists, across 65 years of shared records. Arlo held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Francis in 0.
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.
Francis reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Arlo 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 2016, Arlo moved ahead of Francis in Northern Ireland · Boys — #211 and #211 the year before became #151 and #195.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1999–2024
Arlo held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Francis in 12.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #14 in 2023, Francis #192 in 1999.
The order changed in 2011: Arlo moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #305 and #298; by 2011 that had become #281 and #291.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arlo #15, Francis #193.
Republic of Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Arlo held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Francis in 7.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #48 in 2024, Francis #210 in 2015.
The order changed in 2016: Arlo moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #294 and #210; by 2016 that had become #232 and #263.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arlo #54, Francis #309.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2011–2024
Arlo held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Francis in 3.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #40 in 2023, Francis #142 in 2014.
The order changed in 2016: Arlo moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #211 and #211; by 2016 that had become #151 and #195.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arlo #45, Francis #278.
England and Wales · Girls9 shared years, 2016–2024
Arlo held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Francis in 3.
Highest recorded here: Arlo #1469 in 2023, Francis #1863 in 2023.
The order changed in 2021: Arlo moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #2843 and #2449; by 2021 that had become #1785 and #4634.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arlo #1894, Francis #2574.
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 | Arlo | Francis |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning uncertain — likely derived by Edmund Spenser from the real Irish place name Aherlow ('between two highlands') for the fictional Arlo Hill in The Faerie Queene (1590). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish (place name origin, via literary adaptation) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹ.loʊ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #47 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #309 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Arlo has a recorded origin (Irish (place name origin, via literary adaptation)); Francis does not have one recorded yet.
- Arlo and Francis both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Arlo; Francis doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Arlo
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #2943 among boys in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2013–2023
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New Zealand, in 2017 (recorded 2013–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Francis
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #74 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #316 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys