Charlie vs Ethan
Charlie and Ethancompared 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, Charlie was ranked #8 and Ethan #57 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Charlie was ranked #9 and Ethan #24 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #12 and Ethan #49 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #13 and Ethan #51 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #17 and Ethan #48 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #19 and Ethan #54 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #211 and Ethan #315 among boys in Norway.
Charlie and Ethan over time
Charlie and Ethan appear together in 5 published lists, across 136 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ethan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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 Republic of Ireland · Boys, Charlie moved into the top 50 at #36 in 2006 as Ethan fell out of it to #54, having been #49 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2020, Charlie moved ahead of Ethan in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #14 and #11 the year before became #13 and #19.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Charlie and Ethan averaged 14.8 places apart, ending at #17 and #48.
- Mirrored each other
Over 26 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Charlie rose about as far as Ethan fell — from #92 and #21 in 2000 to #12 and #49 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Charlie and Ethan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 32 years, from 1994 to 2025, ending at #13 and #51.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Charlie #4 in 2012, Ethan #11 in 2011.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys32 shared years, 1994–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Ethan in 12.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #5 in 2022, Ethan #30 in 2012.
The order changed in 2006: Charlie moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #52 and #49; by 2006 that had become #36 and #54.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #13, Ethan #51.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Ethan in 5.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2012, Ethan #11 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #17, Ethan #48.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Ethan in 13.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #3 in 2013, Ethan #4 in 2011.
The order changed in 2012: Charlie moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #8 and #4; by 2012 that had become #5 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #8, Ethan #57.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Ethan in 20.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #8 in 2024, Ethan #4 in 2011.
The order changed in 2020: Charlie moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #14 and #11; by 2020 that had become #13 and #19.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #12, Ethan #49.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Charlie held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Ethan in 13.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #6 in 2021, Ethan #5 in 2004.
The order changed in 2019: Charlie moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #12 and #11; by 2019 that had become #10 and #17.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Charlie #9, Ethan #24.
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 | Ethan |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | Traditionally associated with qualities like 'solid, enduring, firm'. |
| Origin | English, via Germanic Karl | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtʃɑːli/ | /ˈiːθən/ |
| 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) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #49 (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 Ethan is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Charlie and Ethan both have 2 syllables.
- Charlie's recorded meaning differs from Ethan'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
Ethan
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #208 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1991–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011 (recorded 1991–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys