Charlie vs William
Charlie and Williamcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #211 and William #3 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #8 and William #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Charlie was ranked #9 and William #14 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #12 and William #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #13 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Charlie was ranked #19 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Charlie was ranked #22 and William #25 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Charlie was ranked #516 and William #5785 among girls in England and Wales.
Charlie and William over time
Charlie and William appear together in 6 published lists, across 164 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
William reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Charlie 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 2020, Charlie moved ahead of William in New Zealand · Boys — #10 and #7 the year before became #7 and #9.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Charlie and William averaged 8.8 places apart, ending at #22 and #25.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Charlie rose about as far as William fell — from #160 and #26 in 1997 to #8 and #64 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Charlie and William were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #22 and #25.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1983–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 20 of those years, William in 13.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #5 in 2022, William #16 in 1983.
The order changed in 2006: Charlie moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #52 and #51; by 2006 that had become #36 and #50.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #13, William #73.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 19 of those years, William in 11.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2012, William #7 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #22, William #25.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Charlie held the stronger position in 20 of those years, William in 8.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #3 in 2013, William #26 in 1997.
The order changed in 2005: Charlie moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #54 and #35; by 2005 that had become #28 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #8, William #64.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 1 of those years, William in 25.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #8 in 2024, William #1 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #12, William #11.
Norway · Boys26 shared years, 1990–2025
Charlie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 26.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #189 in 2017, William #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #211, William #3.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Charlie held the stronger position in 4 of those years, William in 17.
Highest recorded here: Charlie #6 in 2021, William #3 in 2008.
The order changed in 2020: Charlie moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #10 and #7; by 2020 that had become #7 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Charlie #9, William #14.
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 | William |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | English, via Germanic Karl | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtʃɑːli/ | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #12 (2025) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| 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 William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
- Charlie and William both have 2 syllables.
- Charlie's recorded meaning differs from William'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 #747 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #25 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys