Benjamin vs Harry
Benjamin and Harrycompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #76 and Harry #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Benjamin was ranked #16 and Harry #431 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #61 and Harry #20 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #83 and Harry #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #78 and Harry #31 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #46 and Harry #39 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Benjamin was ranked #39 and Harry #40 among boys in New Zealand.
Benjamin and Harry over time
Benjamin and Harry appear together in 6 published lists, across 203 years of shared records. Benjamin held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Harry in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Benjamin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Harry in 2. 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2005, Harry moved ahead of Benjamin in England and Wales · Boys — #9 and #11 the year before became #11 and #9.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Benjamin and Harry averaged 18.3 places apart, ending at #61 and #20.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Harry rose about as far as Benjamin fell — from #37 and #87 in 1997 to #76 and #13 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Benjamin and Harry were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 33 years, from 1992 to 2025, ending at #46 and #39.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Benjamin #50 in 2020, Harry #6 in 2018.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys57 shared years, 1965–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Harry in 25.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #50 in 2020, Harry #6 in 2018.
The order changed in 2004: Harry moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #53 and #56; by 2004 that had become #57 and #56.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #83, Harry #25.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys33 shared years, 1992–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Harry in 7.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #6 in 1992, Harry #15 in 2018.
The order changed in 2022: Harry moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #32 and #33; by 2022 that had become #37 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #46, Harry #39.
New Zealand · Boys30 shared years, 1994–2023
Benjamin held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Harry in 0.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #3 in 2003, Harry #22 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Benjamin #39, Harry #40.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Harry in 24.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #6 in 2002, Harry #1 in 2011.
The order changed in 2005: Harry moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #9 and #11; by 2005 that had become #11 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #61, Harry #20.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Harry in 20.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #22 in 2002, Harry #4 in 2012.
The order changed in 2006: Harry moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #28 and #32; by 2006 that had become #33 and #22.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #76, Harry #13.
Norway · Boys26 shared years, 1950–2019
Benjamin held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Harry in 7.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #16 in 2019, Harry #84 in 1950.
The order changed in 1972: Benjamin moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #435 and #359; by 1972 that had become #322 and #473.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Benjamin #16, Harry #431.
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 | Harry |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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). | A diminutive/pet form, inheriting its meaning from Henry — 'home ruler' — and functioning, in modern times, as a nickname for both Henry and names beginning with 'Har-'. During the Middle Ages in England, Henry was generally rendered as Harry or Herry in English pronunciation. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛndʒəmɪn/ | /ˈhæri/ |
| 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Benjamin is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Harry is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin.
- Benjamin has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Harry.
- Benjamin's recorded meaning differs from Harry's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Harry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #70 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #39 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys