Namewise

Barry vs Willem

Barry and Willemcompared 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 Willem #2921 among boys in England and Wales.

Barry and Willem over time

Barry and Willem appear together in 1 published list, across 28 years of shared records. Willem 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 Willem 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 Willem changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #3254 and #2921.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Barry #441 in 1996, Willem #694 in 1997.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 19962024

    Barry held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Willem in 18.

    Highest recorded here: Barry #441 in 1996, Willem #694 in 1997.

    The order changed in 2022: Willem moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #2301 and #2493; by 2022 that had become #4001 and #2529.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Barry #3254, Willem #2921.

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, Willem
FieldBarryWillem
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZGB-ENW
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025)England and Wales · Boys #2921 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/10040/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Barry and Willem both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.

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

Willem

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1996

    First recorded at #1104 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2024

    Highest recorded position: #694 among boys in England and Wales, in 1997 (recorded 1996–2024).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #2921 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Boys