Arthur vs Charlie
Arthur and Charliecompared 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 2025, Arthur was ranked #5 and Charlie #22 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #16 and Charlie #8 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Arthur was ranked #11 and Charlie #9 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #19 and Charlie #12 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #57 and Charlie #13 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #24 and Charlie #19 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #83 and Charlie #211 among boys in Norway.
Arthur and Charlie over time
Arthur and Charlie appear together in 6 published lists, across 128 years of shared records. Charlie held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Arthur in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Charlie reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Arthur 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 2018, Arthur moved ahead of Charlie in England and Wales · Boys — #19 and #9 the year before became #7 and #10.
- Longest-running competitions
Arthur and Charlie were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #5 and #22.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Arthur #11 in 2023, Charlie #6 in 2021.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1983–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Charlie in 30.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #47 in 2024, Charlie #5 in 2022.
The order changed in 1996: Charlie moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #261 and #301; by 1996 that had become #276 and #185.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #57, Charlie #13.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Charlie in 22.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #3 in 2020, Charlie #4 in 2012.
The order changed in 2018: Arthur moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #19 and #9; by 2018 that had become #7 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #5, Charlie #22.
Norway · Boys26 shared years, 1990–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Charlie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #74 in 2020, Charlie #189 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #83, Charlie #211.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2004–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Charlie in 20.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #14 in 2023, Charlie #3 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #16, Charlie #8.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 2014–2023
Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Charlie in 10.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #11 in 2023, Charlie #6 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Arthur #11, Charlie #9.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys9 shared years, 2017–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Charlie in 9.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #18 in 2024, Charlie #8 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #19, Charlie #12.
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 | Charlie |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | A diminutive of Charles, ultimately interpreted as 'man' or, by an alternative theory, 'army'. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman | English, via Germanic Karl |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹθər/ | /ˈtʃɑːli/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #5 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #12 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Arthur is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman origin, while Charlie is recorded with a English, via Germanic Karl origin.
- Arthur and Charlie both have 2 syllables.
- Arthur's recorded meaning differs from Charlie's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Charlie 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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Charlie
Popularity journey
First recorded1983
First recorded at #282 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1983 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2013 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #747 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls