Arthur vs Ralph
Arthur and Ralphcompared 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 Ralph #94 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #16 and Ralph #239 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #24 and Ralph #246 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #57 and Ralph #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1953, Arthur was ranked #65 and Ralph #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Arthur and Ralph over time
Arthur and Ralph appear together in 3 published lists, across 89 years of shared records. Arthur held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ralph in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ralph reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Arthur and Ralph were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 47 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #57 and #372.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Arthur #3 in 2020, Ralph #81 in 2019.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1964–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Ralph in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #47 in 2024, Ralph #171 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #57, Ralph #372.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Ralph in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #3 in 2020, Ralph #81 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #4, Ralph #94.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2010–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Ralph in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #14 in 2023, Ralph #193 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #16, Ralph #239.
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 | Ralph |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| 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); Ralph does not have one recorded yet.
- Arthur has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ralph.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Ralph doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Ralph 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
Ralph
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #214 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #81 among boys in England and Wales, in 2019 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys