Arthur vs Zach
Arthur and Zachcompared 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 Zach #509 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #16 and Zach #108 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Arthur was ranked #24 and Zach #148 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #57 and Zach #94 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Arthur and Zach over time
Arthur and Zach appear together in 3 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Zach 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2015, Arthur moved ahead of Zach in Northern Ireland · Boys — #145 and #65 the year before became #89 and #91.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 32 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Arthur and Zach averaged 56.9 places apart, ending at #57 and #94.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Arthur rose about as far as Zach fell — from #234 and #271 in 1996 to #4 and #509 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Arthur and Zach were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 32 years, from 1993 to 2025, ending at #57 and #94.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys32 shared years, 1993–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Zach in 19.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #47 in 2024, Zach #81 in 2021.
The order changed in 2017: Arthur moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #106 and #97; by 2017 that had become #91 and #104.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #57, Zach #94.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Zach in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #3 in 2020, Zach #167 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #4, Zach #509.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2004–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Zach in 10.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #14 in 2023, Zach #65 in 2014.
The order changed in 2015: Arthur moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #145 and #65; by 2015 that had become #89 and #91.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #16, Zach #108.
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 | Zach |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| 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 #94 (2025) |
| 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); Zach does not have one recorded yet.
- Arthur has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Zach.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Zach doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Zach 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
Zach
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #302 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #65 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2014 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #94 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys