Arthur vs Teddy
Arthur and Teddycompared 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 Teddy #29 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #16 and Teddy #70 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #24 and Teddy #76 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #57 and Teddy #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Arthur and Teddy over time
Arthur and Teddy appear together in 3 published lists, across 58 years of shared records. Arthur held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Teddy in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Teddy 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Arthur #3 in 2020, Teddy #20 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Teddy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #3 in 2020, Teddy #20 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #4, Teddy #29.
Republic of Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Teddy in 1.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #47 in 2024, Teddy #65 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #57, Teddy #69.
Northern Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 2013–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Teddy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #14 in 2023, Teddy #40 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #16, Teddy #70.
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 | Teddy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | A diminutive form, not carrying independent meaning of its own — confirmed as a diminutive of both Edward ('rich guard') and Theodore ('gift of god'), two etymologically unrelated full names, so the meaning depends entirely on which name a given bearer is short for. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman | English, diminutive form |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹθər/ | /ˈtɛdi/ |
| 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #69 (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 | medium |
What the data shows
- Arthur is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman origin, while Teddy is recorded with a English, diminutive form origin.
- Arthur and Teddy both have 2 syllables.
- Arthur's recorded meaning differs from Teddy's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Teddy 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
Teddy
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #3795 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys