Brett vs Richard
Brett and Richardcompared 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 1991, Brett was ranked #100 and Richard #35 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1991, Brett was ranked #324 and Richard #35 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1992, Brett was ranked #90 and Richard #67 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2008, Brett was ranked #328 and Richard #207 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Brett was ranked #4270 and Richard #398 among boys in England and Wales.
Brett and Richard over time
Brett and Richard appear together in 4 published lists, across 112 years of shared records. Richard held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Brett in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Richard reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Brett 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
Brett and Richard changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1955 and 1992, ending at #90 and #67.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 38 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Brett and Richard averaged 10.0 places apart, ending at #90 and #67.
- Longest-running competitions
Brett and Richard were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 38 years, from 1955 to 1992, ending at #90 and #67.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Brett #159 in 1996, Richard #62 in 1996.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Boys38 shared years, 1955–1992
Brett held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Richard in 18.
Highest recorded here: Brett #15 in 1963, Richard #16 in 1960.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1992: Brett #90, Richard #67.
New Zealand · Boys37 shared years, 1954–1991
Brett held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Richard in 37.
Highest recorded here: Brett #21 in 1967, Richard #9 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Brett #100, Richard #35.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Brett held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Richard in 29.
Highest recorded here: Brett #159 in 1996, Richard #62 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Brett #4270, Richard #398.
Northern Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1997–2008
Brett held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Richard in 8.
Highest recorded here: Brett #190 in 1998, Richard #77 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Brett #328, Richard #207.
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 | Brett | Richard |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Old German elements 'rih' (ruler, king) and 'hart' (hard, firm, brave, hardy) — 'brave ruler'. Introduced to England by the Normans in the 11th century. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.əɹd/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #4270 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Richard has a recorded origin (Germanic); Brett does not have one recorded yet.
- Brett has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Richard.
- A meaning is recorded for Richard; Brett doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Brett
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #95 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1955–1992
Highest recorded position: #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1963 (recorded 1955–1992).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Richard
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #219 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1999
Highest recorded position: #9 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1999).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys