Cato vs Richard
Cato 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cato was ranked #5119 and Richard #398 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2015, Cato was ranked #515 and Richard #440 among boys in Norway.
Cato and Richard over time
Cato and Richard appear together in 2 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Richard held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cato 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 1989, Richard moved ahead of Cato in Norway · Boys — #110 and #117 the year before became #152 and #108.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Cato and Richard changed places 19 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2015, ending at #515 and #440.
- Longest-running competitions
Cato and Richard were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 69 years, from 1945 to 2015, ending at #515 and #440.
List by list
Norway · Boys69 shared years, 1945–2015
Cato held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Richard in 47.
Highest recorded here: Cato #85 in 1973, Richard #80 in 1979.
The order changed in 1989: Richard moved ahead. In 1988 they stood at #110 and #117; by 1989 that had become #152 and #108.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Cato #515, Richard #440.
England and Wales · Boys12 shared years, 2001–2024
Cato held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Richard in 12.
Highest recorded here: Cato #2804 in 2016, Richard #113 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cato #5119, Richard #398.
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 | Cato | 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #5119 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Richard has a recorded origin (Germanic); Cato does not have one recorded yet.
- Cato and Richard both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Richard; Cato doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Cato
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #189 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2015
Highest recorded position: #85 among boys in Norway, in 1973 (recorded 1945–2015).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5119 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