Billy vs Harry
Billy 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, Billy was ranked #256 and Harry #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Billy was ranked #127 and Harry #20 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Billy was ranked #39 and Harry #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Billy was ranked #234 and Harry #31 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Billy was ranked #44 and Harry #39 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Billy was ranked #86 and Harry #40 among boys in New Zealand.
Billy and Harry over time
Billy and Harry appear together in 3 published lists, across 99 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Billy 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.
Harry reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Billy 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Billy and Harry were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 43 years, from 1981 to 2025, ending at #39 and #25.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys43 shared years, 1981–2025
Billy held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Harry in 40.
Highest recorded here: Billy #39 in 2025, Harry #6 in 2018.
The order changed in 1984: Harry moved ahead. In 1983 they stood at #258 and #282; by 1984 that had become #318 and #250.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Billy #39, Harry #25.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Billy held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harry in 29.
Highest recorded here: Billy #68 in 1998, Harry #1 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Billy #127, Harry #20.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1998–2024
Billy held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harry in 27.
Highest recorded here: Billy #169 in 2015, Harry #4 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Billy #256, Harry #13.
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 | Billy | Harry |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhæri/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #39 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Harry has a recorded origin (English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry); Billy does not have one recorded yet.
- Billy and Harry both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Harry; Billy doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Billy
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #305 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2025
Highest recorded position: #39 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1970–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #44 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