Charlie vs Theodore
Charlie and Theodorecompared 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 Theodore #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Charlie was ranked #9 and Theodore #6 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #8 and Theodore #32 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #22 and Theodore #9 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #13 and Theodore #44 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #19 and Theodore #36 among boys in Scotland.
Charlie and Theodore over time
Charlie and Theodore appear together in 5 published lists, across 93 years of shared records. Charlie held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Theodore in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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, and Theodore 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 2021, Theodore moved ahead of Charlie in England and Wales · Boys — #12 and #14 the year before became #14 and #11.
- Longest-running competitions
Charlie and Theodore were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #22 and #9.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Charlie #8 in 2024, Theodore #3 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Theodore in 5.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2012, Theodore #8 in 2022.
The order changed in 2021: Theodore moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #12 and #14; by 2021 that had become #14 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #22, Theodore #9.
Republic of Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1998–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Theodore in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #5 in 2022, Theodore #44 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #13, Theodore #44.
Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 2001–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Theodore in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #3 in 2013, Theodore #32 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #8, Theodore #32.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys11 shared years, 2015–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Theodore in 5.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #8 in 2024, Theodore #3 in 2024.
The order changed in 2021: Theodore moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #13 and #15; by 2021 that had become #13 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #12, Theodore #3.
New Zealand · Boys11 shared years, 2013–2023
Charlie held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Theodore in 2.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #6 in 2021, Theodore #6 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Charlie #9, Theodore #6.
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 | Theodore |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | Gift of God. |
| Origin | English, via Germanic Karl | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtʃɑːli/ | /ˈθiəˌdɔɹ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Teddy |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #12 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| 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 Theodore is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Charlie has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Theodore.
- Charlie's recorded meaning differs from Theodore's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Charlie a "medium" Data Confidence level and Theodore 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
Theodore
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #214 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2015–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 2015–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #9 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys