Carter vs Harry
Carter 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, Carter was ranked #114 and Harry #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Carter was ranked #103 and Harry #20 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Carter was ranked #317 and Harry #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Carter was ranked #30 and Harry #40 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Carter was ranked #72 and Harry #31 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Carter was ranked #70 and Harry #39 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Carter and Harry over time
Carter and Harry appear together in 5 published lists, across 103 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Carter 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 3 of those lists, Carter 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2019, Carter moved ahead of Harry in New Zealand · Boys — #27 and #22 the year before became #28 and #38.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Carter #60 in 2018, Harry #15 in 2018.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Carter held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harry in 29.
Highest recorded here: Carter #60 in 2018, Harry #1 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Carter #103, Harry #20.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Carter held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harry in 28.
Highest recorded here: Carter #53 in 2013, Harry #4 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Carter #114, Harry #13.
New Zealand · Boys18 shared years, 2006–2023
Carter held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Harry in 9.
Highest recorded here: Carter #21 in 2015, Harry #22 in 2018.
The order changed in 2019: Carter moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #27 and #22; by 2019 that had become #28 and #38.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Carter #30, Harry #40.
Republic of Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Carter held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harry in 17.
Highest recorded here: Carter #113 in 2019, Harry #6 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Carter #317, Harry #25.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys11 shared years, 2015–2025
Carter held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harry in 11.
Highest recorded here: Carter #60 in 2018, Harry #15 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Carter #70, Harry #39.
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 | Carter | 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 | 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #70 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 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); Carter does not have one recorded yet.
- Carter and Harry both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Harry; Carter 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
Carter
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #755 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2006–2023
Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in New Zealand, in 2015 (recorded 2006–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #70 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