Barry vs Chester
Barry and Chestercompared 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 2025, Barry was ranked #3684 and Chester #128 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Barry was ranked #414 and Chester #264 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Barry was ranked #582 and Chester #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Barry and Chester over time
Barry and Chester appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Chester held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Barry in 0.
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 1 of those lists, and Chester 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
Barry and Chester changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2025, ending at #3684 and #128.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2025
Barry held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Chester in 23.
Highest recorded here: Barry #441 in 1996, Chester #84 in 2020.
The order changed in 2005: Chester moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #815 and #1110; by 2005 that had become #1617 and #872.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Barry #3684, Chester #128.
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 | Chester |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #128 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Barry and Chester both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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 #3684 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Chester
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #654 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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #84 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #128 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys