Arthur vs Harald
Arthur and Haraldcompared 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, Arthur was ranked #4 and Harald #3254 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #83 and Harald #109 among boys in Norway.
Arthur and Harald over time
Arthur and Harald appear together in 2 published lists, across 85 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Harald reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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 2016, Arthur moved ahead of Harald in Norway · Boys — #195 and #141 the year before became #165 and #186.
- Longest-running competitions
Arthur and Harald were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 77 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #83 and #109.
List by list
Norway · Boys77 shared years, 1945–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Harald in 66.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #74 in 2020, Harald #8 in 1945.
The order changed in 2016: Arthur moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #195 and #141; by 2016 that had become #165 and #186.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #83, Harald #109.
England and Wales · Boys8 shared years, 1997–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Harald in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #4 in 2021, Harald #2859 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #4, Harald #3254.
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 | Harald |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | Norway · Boys #109 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| 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); Harald does not have one recorded yet.
- Arthur and Harald both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Harald doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Harald 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
Harald
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #8 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: #8 among boys in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #109 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys