Bernard vs Graham
Bernard and Grahamcompared 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 1965, Bernard was ranked #94 and Graham #47 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1966, Bernard was ranked #89 and Graham #49 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2009, Bernard was ranked #329 and Graham #329 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Bernard was ranked #396 and Graham #770 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Bernard was ranked #613 and Graham #5119 among boys in England and Wales.
Bernard and Graham over time
Bernard and Graham appear together in 4 published lists, across 108 years of shared records. Graham held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Bernard in 1.
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.
Graham reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Bernard 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Bernard and Graham changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2023, ending at #396 and #770.
- Longest-running competitions
Bernard and Graham were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 54 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #396 and #770.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Bernard #70 in 1953, Graham #20 in 1952.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys54 shared years, 1964–2023
Bernard held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Graham in 30.
Highest recorded here: Bernard #33 in 1964, Graham #52 in 1984.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Bernard #396, Graham #770.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Bernard held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Graham in 8.
Highest recorded here: Bernard #613 in 2024, Graham #341 in 1996.
The order changed in 2006: Bernard moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #982 and #954; by 2006 that had become #1016 and #1892.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bernard #613, Graham #5119.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys15 shared years, 1952–1966
Bernard held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Graham in 15.
Highest recorded here: Bernard #70 in 1953, Graham #20 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1966: Bernard #89, Graham #49.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 1954–1965
Bernard held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Graham in 10.
Highest recorded here: Bernard #79 in 1957, Graham #23 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1965: Bernard #94, Graham #47.
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 | Bernard | Graham |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #277 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #727 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Bernard and Graham both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Bernard
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #84 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: #33 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #277 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Graham
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #20 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 recorded1952–1979
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1979).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5119 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys