Breandan vs Harry
Breandan 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 2011, Breandan was ranked #375 and Harry #6 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1995, Breandan was ranked #334 and Harry #137 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Breandan and Harry over time
Breandan and Harry appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Breandan 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.
Breandan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Harry 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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1978–1995
Breandan held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Harry in 6.
Highest recorded here: Breandan #255 in 1978, Harry #114 in 1994.
The order changed in 1983: Harry moved ahead. In 1982 they stood at #292 and #322; by 1983 that had become #330 and #282.
Most recent shared year, 1995: Breandan #334, Harry #137.
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 | Breandan | 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 | Not yet recorded | /ˈhæri/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Boys #375 (2011) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Harry has a recorded origin (English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry); Breandan does not have one recorded yet.
- Breandan and Harry both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Harry; Breandan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Breandan
Popularity journey
First recorded1978
First recorded at #255 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1978 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2011
Highest recorded position: #199 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1999 (recorded 1997–2011).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2011
Most recently recorded at #375 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2011.
Northern Ireland · 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