Arthur vs Barra
Arthur and Barracompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #16 and Barra #305 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #57 and Barra #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Arthur and Barra over time
Arthur and Barra appear together in 2 published lists, across 45 years of shared records. Arthur held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Barra 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Arthur and Barra were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 31 years, from 1981 to 2025, ending at #57 and #170.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Arthur #47 in 2024, Barra #170 in 2025.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys31 shared years, 1981–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Barra in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #47 in 2024, Barra #170 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #57, Barra #170.
Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2007–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Barra in 1.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #14 in 2023, Barra #187 in 2018.
The order changed in 2009: Arthur moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #357 and #276; by 2009 that had become #293 and #390.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #16, Barra #305.
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 | Arthur | Barra |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹθər/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Art, Artie | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #170 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Arthur has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman); Barra does not have one recorded yet.
- Arthur and Barra both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Barra doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Barra a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
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
Barra
Popularity journey
First recorded1981
First recorded at #322 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1981 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1981–2025
Highest recorded position: #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1981–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys