Bruce vs Graham
Bruce 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 1972, Bruce was ranked #55 and Graham #74 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1972, Bruce was ranked #95 and Graham #65 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 1999, Bruce was ranked #277 and Graham #168 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Bruce was ranked #472 and Graham #770 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Bruce was ranked #727 and Graham #727 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Bruce was ranked #898 and Graham #5119 among boys in England and Wales.
Bruce and Graham over time
Bruce and Graham appear together in 4 published lists, across 92 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 2 of those lists, Bruce 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
Bruce and Graham changed places 10 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1952 and 1972, ending at #95 and #65.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Bruce and Graham averaged 6.0 places apart, ending at #95 and #65.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Bruce #472 in 1996, Graham #341 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Bruce held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Graham in 6.
Highest recorded here: Bruce #472 in 1996, Graham #341 in 1996.
The order changed in 2003: Bruce moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #869 and #710; by 2003 that had become #653 and #695.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bruce #898, Graham #5119.
Republic of Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 1964–2023
Bruce held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Graham in 19.
Highest recorded here: Bruce #204 in 1964, Graham #59 in 1979.
The order changed in 2023: Bruce moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #635 and #635; by 2023 that had become #472 and #770.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Bruce #472, Graham #770.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys21 shared years, 1952–1972
Bruce held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Graham in 11.
Highest recorded here: Bruce #21 in 1954, Graham #20 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1972: Bruce #95, Graham #65.
New Zealand · Boys19 shared years, 1954–1972
Bruce held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Graham in 0.
Highest recorded here: Bruce #15 in 1955, Graham #23 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1972: Bruce #55, Graham #74.
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 | Bruce | 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 | Not yet recorded | |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #727 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Bruce and Graham both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Bruce
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #23 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 recorded1954–1980
Highest recorded position: #15 among boys in New Zealand, in 1955 (recorded 1954–1980).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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