Namewise

Barry vs Frank

Barry and Frankcompared 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 Zealand · Boys

    In 1955, Barry was ranked #24 and Frank #100 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 1967, Barry was ranked #67 and Frank #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Barry was ranked #3254 and Frank #194 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2022, Barry was ranked #414 and Frank #264 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Barry was ranked #402 and Frank #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Barry and Frank over time

Barry and Frank appear together in 4 published lists, across 120 years of shared records. Barry held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Frank in 1.

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.

Barry reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Frank 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.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Barry and Frank were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #402 and #286.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Barry #167 in 2006, Frank #223 in 2006.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 19642025

    Barry held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Frank in 15.

    Highest recorded here: Barry #17 in 1985, Frank #139 in 1966.

    The order changed in 2010: Frank moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #220 and #283; by 2010 that had become #284 and #220.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Barry #402, Frank #286.

  • England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 19962024

    Barry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Frank in 28.

    Highest recorded here: Barry #441 in 1996, Frank #155 in 2018.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Barry #3254, Frank #194.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys16 shared years, 19521967

    Barry held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Frank in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Barry #30 in 1952, Frank #74 in 1959.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1967: Barry #67, Frank #86.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 20032022

    Barry held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Frank in 3.

    Highest recorded here: Barry #167 in 2006, Frank #223 in 2006.

    The order changed in 2012: Frank moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #261 and #375; by 2012 that had become #311 and #311.

    Most recent shared year, 2022: Barry #414, Frank #264.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Barry, Frank
FieldBarryFrank
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Pronunciation
Syllables21
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Barry has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Frank.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Barry

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

Frank

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #61 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in Norway, in 1968 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #459 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys