Arnold vs Arthur
Arnold 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, Arnold was ranked #711 and Arthur #4 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arnold was ranked #727 and Arthur #24 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Arnold was ranked #764 and Arthur #80 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Arnold was ranked #421 and Arthur #83 among boys in Norway.
Arnold and Arthur over time
Arnold and Arthur appear together in 3 published lists, across 71 years of shared records. Arthur held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Arnold 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.
Arnold reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Arnold and Arthur changed places 13 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #421 and #83.
- Longest-running competitions
Arnold and Arthur were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 34 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #421 and #83.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Arnold #632 in 2022, Arthur #3 in 2020.
List by list
Norway · Boys34 shared years, 1945–2025
Arnold held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Arthur in 20.
Highest recorded here: Arnold #121 in 1945, Arthur #81 in 2022.
The order changed in 1989: Arthur moved ahead. In 1988 they stood at #521 and #563; by 1989 that had become #446 and #369.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arnold #421, Arthur #83.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Arnold held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Arthur in 29.
Highest recorded here: Arnold #632 in 2022, Arthur #3 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arnold #711, Arthur #4.
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1964–2019
Arnold held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Arthur in 8.
Highest recorded here: Arnold #214 in 1964, Arthur #80 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Arnold #764, Arthur #80.
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 | Arnold | Arthur |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈɑɹθər/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Art, Artie |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #421 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Arthur has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman); Arnold does not have one recorded yet.
- Arnold and Arthur both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Arnold doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Arnold a "medium" Data Confidence level and Arthur a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Arnold
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #121 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #121 among boys in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #421 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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