Charlie vs Sebastian
Charlie and Sebastiancompared 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 Sebastian #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Charlie was ranked #9 and Sebastian #52 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #12 and Sebastian #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #13 and Sebastian #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #17 and Sebastian #45 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #19 and Sebastian #116 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #211 and Sebastian #53 among boys in Norway.
Charlie and Sebastian over time
Charlie and Sebastian appear together in 6 published lists, across 155 years of shared records. Charlie held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Sebastian 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.
Sebastian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Charlie 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 1997, Charlie moved ahead of Sebastian in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #301 and #301 the year before became #174 and #382.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Charlie and Sebastian averaged 51.1 places apart, ending at #17 and #45.
- Longest-running competitions
Charlie and Sebastian were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 30 years, from 1995 to 2025, ending at #13 and #125.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Charlie #8 in 2024, Sebastian #20 in 2022.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1995–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #5 in 2022, Sebastian #80 in 2017.
The order changed in 1997: Charlie moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #301 and #301; by 1997 that had become #174 and #382.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #13, Sebastian #125.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2012, Sebastian #28 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #17, Sebastian #45.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Sebastian in 3.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #8 in 2024, Sebastian #20 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #12, Sebastian #31.
Norway · Boys26 shared years, 1990–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sebastian in 26.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #189 in 2017, Sebastian #9 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #211, Sebastian #53.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1999–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #3 in 2013, Sebastian #102 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #8, Sebastian #154.
New Zealand · Boys20 shared years, 2003–2023
Charlie held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #6 in 2021, Sebastian #52 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Charlie #9, Sebastian #52.
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 | Sebastian |
|---|---|---|
| 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 interpreted as 'venerable' or 'revered' — from Latin Sebastianus, 'from Sebaste' (a city in Asia Minor), whose own name derives from a Greek word used to translate the Roman imperial title Augustus. |
| Origin | English, via Germanic Karl | Latin, from Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtʃɑːli/ | /səˈbæstʃən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| 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 #31 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 65/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 70/100 |
| 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 Sebastian is recorded with a Latin, from Greek origin.
- Charlie has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Sebastian.
- Charlie's recorded meaning differs from Sebastian'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
Sebastian
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #415 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1968–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1968–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys