Arthur vs Henry
Arthur and Henrycompared 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 Henry #14 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #19 and Henry #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Arthur was ranked #11 and Henry #8 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #16 and Henry #45 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #24 and Henry #95 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #83 and Henry #50 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #57 and Henry #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Arthur and Henry over time
Arthur and Henry appear together in 6 published lists, across 209 years of shared records. Henry held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Arthur in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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 2 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, Arthur moved ahead of Henry in England and Wales · Boys — #19 and #13 the year before became #7 and #13.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Arthur and Henry changed places 22 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #83 and #50.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Arthur and Henry averaged 49.2 places apart, ending at #57 and #76.
- Longest-running competitions
Arthur and Henry were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 77 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #83 and #50.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Arthur #3 in 2020, Henry #10 in 2021.
List by list
Norway · Boys77 shared years, 1945–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Henry in 60.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #74 in 2020, Henry #50 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #83, Henry #50.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Henry in 54.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #47 in 2024, Henry #60 in 1964.
The order changed in 2018: Arthur moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #91 and #81; by 2018 that had become #73 and #81.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #57, Henry #76.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Henry in 22.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #3 in 2020, Henry #10 in 2021.
The order changed in 2018: Arthur moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #19 and #13; by 2018 that had become #7 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #4, Henry #14.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2004–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Henry in 11.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #14 in 2023, Henry #22 in 2023.
The order changed in 2016: Arthur moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #89 and #64; by 2016 that had become #57 and #61.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #16, Henry #45.
New Zealand · Boys12 shared years, 1954–2023
Arthur held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Henry in 9.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #11 in 2023, Henry #8 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Arthur #11, Henry #8.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys9 shared years, 2017–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Henry in 9.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #18 in 2024, Henry #4 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #19, Henry #6.
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 | Henry |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | Home ruler, estate ruler. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman | Germanic, via Old French Henri |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹθər/ | /ˈhɛnɹi/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Art, Artie | Harry, Hal, Heinrich, Henri |
| 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #6 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Arthur is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman origin, while Henry is recorded with a Germanic, via Old French Henri origin.
- Arthur and Henry both have 2 syllables.
- Arthur's recorded meaning differs from Henry's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Henry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #102 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1993–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 1993–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys