Benjamin vs Harold
Benjamin and Haroldcompared 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, Benjamin was ranked #61 and Harold #1025 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Benjamin was ranked #68 and Harold #711 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Benjamin and Harold over time
Benjamin and Harold appear together in 2 published lists, across 58 years of shared records. Benjamin held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Harold in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Harold reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Benjamin and Harold changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2013, ending at #68 and #711.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #139 and #147 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 8 places apart; by 2013 they were #68 and #711.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Harold in 0.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #6 in 2002, Harold #394 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #61, Harold #1025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys29 shared years, 1964–2013
Benjamin held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Harold in 2.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #55 in 2005, Harold #135 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Benjamin #68, Harold #711.
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 | Benjamin | Harold |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | 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). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛndʒəmɪn/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1025 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Benjamin has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Harold does not have one recorded yet.
- Benjamin has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Harold.
- A meaning is recorded for Benjamin; Harold doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
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
Harold
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #88 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 recorded1952–1953
Highest recorded position: #88 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1953).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1025 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys