Namewise

Charlie vs Muhammad

Charlie and Muhammadcompared 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 2025, Charlie was ranked #22 and Muhammad #1 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Charlie was ranked #19 and Muhammad #2 among boys in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Charlie was ranked #8 and Muhammad #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2025, Charlie was ranked #12 and Muhammad #21 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Charlie was ranked #13 and Muhammad #35 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Charlie was ranked #211 and Muhammad #94 among boys in Norway.

Charlie and Muhammad over time

Charlie and Muhammad appear together in 5 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Charlie held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Muhammad in 1.

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.

Charlie reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Muhammad 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 2018, Muhammad moved ahead of Charlie in England and Wales · Boys — #9 and #10 the year before became #10 and #8.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Charlie and Muhammad averaged 24.7 places apart, ending at #22 and #1.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Charlie and Muhammad were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #22 and #1.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Charlie #8 in 2024, Muhammad #21 in 2025.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys32 shared years, 19942025

    Charlie held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Muhammad in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Charlie #5 in 2022, Muhammad #35 in 2025.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #13, Muhammad #35.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 19962025

    Charlie held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Muhammad in 8.

    Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2012, Muhammad #1 in 2023.

    The order changed in 2018: Muhammad moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #9 and #10; by 2018 that had become #10 and #8.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #22, Muhammad #1.

  • Norway · Boys26 shared years, 19902025

    Charlie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Muhammad in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Charlie #189 in 2017, Muhammad #70 in 2023.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #211, Muhammad #94.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 20032024

    Charlie held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Muhammad in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2015, Muhammad #154 in 2024.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #8, Muhammad #154.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys14 shared years, 20122025

    Charlie held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Muhammad in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Charlie #8 in 2024, Muhammad #21 in 2025.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #12, Muhammad #21.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Charlie, Muhammad
FieldCharlieMuhammad
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningA diminutive of Charles, ultimately interpreted as 'man' or, by an alternative theory, 'army'.Praiseworthy, commendable.
OriginEnglish, via Germanic KarlArabic
Pronunciation/ˈtʃɑːli//muˈħammad/
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedMohammed, Mohammad, Mehmed
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Boys #12 (2025)England and Wales · Boys #1 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10076/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediumhigh

What the data shows

  • Charlie is recorded with a English, via Germanic Karl origin, while Muhammad is recorded with a Arabic origin.
  • Charlie has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Muhammad.
  • Charlie's recorded meaning differs from Muhammad's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
  • The available evidence gives Charlie a "medium" Data Confidence level and Muhammad 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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2013 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #747 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Muhammad

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1946

    First recorded at #319 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys