Arthur vs Roland
Arthur and Rolandcompared 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 Roland #1132 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #57 and Roland #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2015, Arthur was ranked #195 and Roland #537 among boys in Norway.
Arthur and Roland over time
Arthur and Roland appear together in 3 published lists, across 84 years of shared records. Arthur held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Roland in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Roland reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Arthur in 1. 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 Roland were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 31 years, from 1946 to 2015, ending at #195 and #537.
List by list
Norway · Boys31 shared years, 1946–2015
Arthur held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Roland in 1.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #122 in 1946, Roland #310 in 1955.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Arthur #195, Roland #537.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Roland in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #3 in 2020, Roland #818 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #4, Roland #1132.
Republic of Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1964–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Roland in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #57 in 2025, Roland #169 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #57, Roland #829.
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 | Roland |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| 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); Roland does not have one recorded yet.
- Arthur and Roland both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Roland doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Roland 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
Roland
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #351 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #169 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1967 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys