Charlie vs Harry
Charlie 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, Charlie was ranked #8 and Harry #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Charlie was ranked #9 and Harry #40 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #12 and Harry #39 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #13 and Harry #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #22 and Harry #19 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #19 and Harry #31 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Charlie was ranked #225 and Harry #431 among boys in Norway.
Charlie and Harry over time
Charlie and Harry appear together in 5 published lists, across 138 years of shared records. Charlie held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Harry in 2.
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.
Harry 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2019, Charlie moved ahead of Harry in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #22 and #15 the year before became #14 and #20.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Charlie and Harry changed places 9 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1983 and 2025, ending at #13 and #25.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Charlie and Harry averaged 8.3 places apart, ending at #22 and #19.
- Longest-running competitions
Charlie and Harry were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #22 and #19.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Charlie #4 in 2012, Harry #1 in 2011.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1983–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Harry in 21.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #5 in 2022, Harry #6 in 2018.
The order changed in 2021: Charlie moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #10 and #9; by 2021 that had become #7 and #20.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #13, Harry #25.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Harry in 28.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2012, Harry #1 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #22, Harry #19.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Harry in 11.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #3 in 2013, Harry #4 in 2012.
The order changed in 2013: Charlie moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #5 and #4; by 2013 that had become #3 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #8, Harry #13.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Harry in 6.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #8 in 2024, Harry #15 in 2018.
The order changed in 2019: Charlie moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #22 and #15; by 2019 that had become #14 and #20.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #12, Harry #39.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Charlie held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Harry in 3.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #6 in 2021, Harry #22 in 2018.
The order changed in 2006: Charlie moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #61 and #43; by 2006 that had become #26 and #44.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Charlie #9, Harry #40.
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 | Harry |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | 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 | English, via Germanic Karl | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtʃɑːli/ | /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, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #12 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #19 (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 Harry is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin.
- Charlie and Harry both have 2 syllables.
- Charlie's recorded meaning differs from Harry'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 #747 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys