Bernard vs Harold
Bernard 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1953, Bernard was ranked #70 and Harold #99 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Bernard was ranked #296 and Harold #711 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Bernard was ranked #613 and Harold #1025 among boys in England and Wales.
Bernard and Harold over time
Bernard and Harold appear together in 2 published lists, across 58 years of shared records. Bernard held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Harold 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 Harold changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #613 and #1025.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Bernard #33 in 1964, Harold #135 in 1965.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Bernard held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Harold in 14.
Highest recorded here: Bernard #613 in 2024, Harold #394 in 1996.
The order changed in 2018: Bernard moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #968 and #906; by 2018 that had become #1097 and #1158.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bernard #613, Harold #1025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys29 shared years, 1964–2013
Bernard held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Harold in 0.
Highest recorded here: Bernard #33 in 1964, Harold #135 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Bernard #296, 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 | Bernard | Harold |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #277 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1025 (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 Harold both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE.
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
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