Namewise

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Charlie

Pairs where Charlie shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving William

Pairs where William shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Charlie, William
FieldCharlieWilliam
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningA 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.
OriginEnglish, via Germanic KarlGermanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm)
Pronunciation/ˈtʃɑːli//ˈwɪljəm/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Boys #12 (2025)Norway · Boys #3 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

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

  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

William

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #25 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys