Arthur vs Kay
Arthur and Kaycompared 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 2019, Arthur was ranked #4 and Kay #4702 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 1996, Arthur was ranked #282 and Kay #525 among boys in Norway.
Arthur and Kay over time
Arthur and Kay appear together in 2 published lists, across 54 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Arthur and Kay changed places 14 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 1996, ending at #282 and #525.
- Longest-running competitions
Arthur and Kay were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 46 years, from 1945 to 1996, ending at #282 and #525.
List by list
Norway · Boys46 shared years, 1945–1996
Arthur held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Kay in 24.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #122 in 1946, Kay #147 in 1981.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Arthur #282, Kay #525.
England and Wales · Boys8 shared years, 2002–2019
Arthur held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Kay in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #4 in 2019, Kay #3225 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Arthur #4, Kay #4702.
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 | Kay |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| 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 | 1 |
| 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, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3970 (2022) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Arthur has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman); Kay does not have one recorded yet.
- Arthur has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kay.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Kay doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Kay 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
Kay
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #286 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1963
Highest recorded position: #39 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1963).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #3970 among girls in England and Wales, in 2022.
England and Wales · Girls