Barry vs Octavian
Barry and Octaviancompared 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, Barry was ranked #3254 and Octavian #1951 among boys in England and Wales.
Barry and Octavian over time
Barry and Octavian appear together in 1 published list, across 15 years of shared records. Barry held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Octavian 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 Octavian 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys15 shared years, 2008–2024
Barry held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Octavian in 6.
Highest recorded here: Barry #1302 in 2009, Octavian #1548 in 2020.
The order changed in 2017: Octavian moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #2027 and #3079; by 2017 that had become #3040 and #1703.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barry #3254, Octavian #1951.
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 | Octavian |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1951 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Barry has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Octavian.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
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
Octavian
Popularity journey
First recorded2008
First recorded at #2507 among boys in England and Wales in 2008 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2008–2024
Highest recorded position: #1533 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023 (recorded 2008–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1951 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys