Barry vs Benjamin
Barry and Benjamincompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1973, Barry was ranked #97 and Benjamin #27 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Barry was ranked #3254 and Benjamin #61 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1972, Barry was ranked #73 and Benjamin #84 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Barry was ranked #414 and Benjamin #73 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Barry was ranked #402 and Benjamin #83 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Barry and Benjamin over time
Barry and Benjamin appear together in 3 published lists, across 111 years of shared records. Benjamin held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Barry in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Barry reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Benjamin 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 1998, Benjamin moved ahead of Barry in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #76 and #84 the year before became #83 and #77.
- Longest-running competitions
Barry and Benjamin were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #402 and #83.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Barry held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Benjamin in 28.
Highest recorded here: Barry #17 in 1985, Benjamin #50 in 2020.
The order changed in 1998: Benjamin moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #76 and #84; by 1998 that had become #83 and #77.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Barry #402, Benjamin #83.
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2024
Barry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Benjamin in 28.
Highest recorded here: Barry #441 in 1996, Benjamin #6 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barry #3254, Benjamin #61.
Northern Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 1997–2022
Barry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Benjamin in 21.
Highest recorded here: Barry #90 in 1997, Benjamin #22 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Barry #414, Benjamin #73.
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 | Barry | Benjamin |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'son of the right hand', with the underlying literal sense being 'son of the south' (since 'right' indicated the southerly direction in the biblical east-facing orientation convention). |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛndʒəmɪn/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Benjamin has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Barry does not have one recorded yet.
- Barry has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Benjamin.
- A meaning is recorded for Benjamin; Barry doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Barry
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #30 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: #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Benjamin
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1970–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #46 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys