Charlie vs David
Charlie and Davidcompared 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 2020, Charlie was ranked #7 and David #84 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #8 and David #104 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #13 and David #45 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #17 and David #64 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #19 and David #71 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, Charlie was ranked #22 and David #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #211 and David #88 among boys in Norway.
Charlie and David over time
Charlie and David appear together in 6 published lists, across 151 years of shared records. Charlie held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, David in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Charlie 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.
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 took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Boys, Charlie moved into the top 50 at #26 in 2006 as David fell out of it to #61, having been #46 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1998, Charlie moved ahead of David in England and Wales · Boys — #40 and #35 the year before became #35 and #39.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Charlie and David averaged 37.8 places apart, ending at #17 and #64.
- Longest-running competitions
Charlie and David were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 33 years, from 1983 to 2025, ending at #13 and #45.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1983–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 16 of those years, David in 17.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #5 in 2022, David #2 in 1983.
The order changed in 2010: Charlie moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #27 and #25; by 2010 that had become #19 and #25.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #13, David #45.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 27 of those years, David in 2.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2012, David #32 in 1996.
The order changed in 1998: Charlie moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #40 and #35; by 1998 that had become #35 and #39.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #17, David #64.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 20 of those years, David in 8.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #3 in 2013, David #9 in 1997.
The order changed in 2005: Charlie moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #54 and #19; by 2005 that had become #28 and #34.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #8, David #104.
Norway · Boys26 shared years, 1990–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, David in 26.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #189 in 2017, David #42 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #211, David #88.
New Zealand · Boys18 shared years, 2003–2020
Charlie held the stronger position in 16 of those years, David in 2.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #7 in 2020, David #46 in 2005.
The order changed in 2006: Charlie moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #61 and #46; by 2006 that had become #26 and #61.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Charlie #7, David #84.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2000–2018
Charlie held the stronger position in 14 of those years, David in 3.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #18 in 2011, David #41 in 2000.
The order changed in 2003: Charlie moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #85 and #52; by 2003 that had become #63 and #66.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Charlie #22, David #97.
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 | Charlie | David |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A diminutive of Charles, ultimately interpreted as 'man' or, by an alternative theory, 'army'. | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. |
| Origin | English, via Germanic Karl | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtʃɑːli/ | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #12 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Charlie is recorded with a English, via Germanic Karl origin, while David is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Charlie and David both have 2 syllables.
- Charlie's recorded meaning differs from David's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Charlie
Popularity journey
First recorded1983
First recorded at #282 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1983 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2013 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #12 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys