Charlie vs Toby
Charlie and Tobycompared 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 Toby #125 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Charlie was ranked #9 and Toby #65 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #13 and Toby #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2019, Charlie was ranked #14 and Toby #93 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #17 and Toby #86 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #19 and Toby #234 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #837 and Toby #3015 among girls in England and Wales.
Charlie and Toby over time
Charlie and Toby appear together in 6 published lists, across 146 years of shared records. Charlie held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Toby in 0.
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 3 of those lists, Toby 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 2004, Charlie moved ahead of Toby in New Zealand · Boys — #90 and #80 the year before became #50 and #60.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Charlie and Toby averaged 43.3 places apart, ending at #17 and #86.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Charlie #4 in 2012, Toby #42 in 2014.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Toby in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2012, Toby #42 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #17, Toby #86.
England and Wales · Girls27 shared years, 1996–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Toby in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #88 in 2003, Toby #1703 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #837, Toby #3015.
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1997–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Toby in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #3 in 2013, Toby #90 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #8, Toby #125.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1997–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Toby in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #5 in 2022, Toby #173 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #13, Toby #329.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Charlie held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Toby in 1.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #6 in 2021, Toby #41 in 2008.
The order changed in 2004: Charlie moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #90 and #80; by 2004 that had become #50 and #60.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Charlie #9, Toby #65.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2003–2019
Charlie held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Toby in 0.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #14 in 2019, Toby #52 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Charlie #14, Toby #93.
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 | Toby |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A diminutive of Charles, ultimately interpreted as 'man' or, by an alternative theory, 'army'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English, via Germanic Karl | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtʃɑːli/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #12 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #329 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Charlie has a recorded origin (English, via Germanic Karl); Toby does not have one recorded yet.
- Charlie and Toby both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Charlie; Toby doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, 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
Toby
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #304 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2002–2023
Highest recorded position: #41 among boys in New Zealand, in 2008 (recorded 2002–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys