Barnaby vs Francis
Barnaby and Franciscompared 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, Barnaby was ranked #195 and Francis #193 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Barnaby was ranked #727 and Francis #352 among boys in Scotland.
Barnaby and Francis over time
Barnaby and Francis appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Francis held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Barnaby in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Francis reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Barnaby 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Barnaby and Francis changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #195 and #193.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Barnaby and Francis averaged 38.2 places apart, ending at #195 and #193.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Barnaby held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Francis in 20.
Highest recorded here: Barnaby #195 in 2024, Francis #188 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barnaby #195, Francis #193.
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 | Barnaby | Francis |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #195 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #309 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Barnaby has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Francis.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT.
How each name got here
Barnaby
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #251 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #195 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #195 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Francis
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #74 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #316 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys