Charlie vs Henry
Charlie and Henrycompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #12 and Henry #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Charlie was ranked #9 and Henry #8 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #8 and Henry #45 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #22 and Henry #13 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #13 and Henry #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #19 and Henry #95 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #211 and Henry #50 among boys in Norway.
Charlie and Henry over time
Charlie and Henry appear together in 6 published lists, across 163 years of shared records. Charlie held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Henry in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Charlie reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Henry in 2. 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 2020, Henry moved ahead of Charlie in England and Wales · Boys — #9 and #12 the year before became #12 and #11.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Charlie and Henry changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Boys between 2003 and 2023, ending at #9 and #8.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Charlie and Henry averaged 16.6 places apart, ending at #22 and #13.
- Longest-running competitions
Charlie and Henry were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #22 and #13.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Charlie #8 in 2024, Henry #4 in 2023.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1983–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Henry in 5.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #5 in 2022, Henry #75 in 2016.
The order changed in 1998: Charlie moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #174 and #147; by 1998 that had become #145 and #193.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #13, Henry #76.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Henry in 6.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2012, Henry #10 in 2021.
The order changed in 2020: Henry moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #9 and #12; by 2020 that had become #12 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #22, Henry #13.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Henry in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #3 in 2013, Henry #22 in 2023.
The order changed in 1998: Charlie moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #160 and #160; by 1998 that had become #150 and #158.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #8, Henry #45.
Norway · Boys26 shared years, 1990–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Henry in 26.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #189 in 2017, Henry #50 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #211, Henry #50.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys25 shared years, 2000–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Henry in 14.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #8 in 2024, Henry #4 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #12, Henry #6.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Charlie held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Henry in 3.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #6 in 2021, Henry #8 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Charlie #9, Henry #8.
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 | Henry |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | Home ruler, estate ruler. |
| Origin | English, via Germanic Karl | Germanic, via Old French Henri |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtʃɑːli/ | /ˈhɛnɹi/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Harry, Hal, Heinrich, Henri |
| 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 #6 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Charlie is recorded with a English, via Germanic Karl origin, while Henry is recorded with a Germanic, via Old French Henri origin.
- Charlie and Henry both have 2 syllables.
- Charlie's recorded meaning differs from Henry's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Charlie a "medium" Data Confidence level and Henry a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Henry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #102 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1993–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 1993–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #13 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys