Daniel vs Harry
Daniel and Harrycompared 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, Daniel was ranked #37 and Harry #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #13 and Harry #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #59 and Harry #20 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #52 and Harry #31 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Daniel was ranked #33 and Harry #431 among boys in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #64 and Harry #39 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Daniel was ranked #53 and Harry #40 among boys in New Zealand.
Daniel and Harry over time
Daniel and Harry appear together in 6 published lists, across 223 years of shared records. Daniel held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Harry in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Daniel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Harry in 1. 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 took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Boys, Harry moved into the top 50 at #40 in 2022 as Daniel fell out of it to #52, having been #49 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2006, Harry moved ahead of Daniel in England and Wales · Boys — #6 and #9 the year before became #8 and #5.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Daniel and Harry changed places 7 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #37 and #13.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Daniel and Harry averaged 17.7 places apart, ending at #59 and #20.
- Longest-running competitions
Daniel and Harry were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 33 years, from 1992 to 2025, ending at #64 and #39.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Daniel #2 in 2010, Harry #4 in 2012.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys57 shared years, 1965–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 57 of those years, Harry in 0.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 2009, Harry #6 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #13, Harry #25.
Norway · Boys46 shared years, 1945–2019
Daniel held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Harry in 23.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 1989, Harry #69 in 1946.
The order changed in 1968: Daniel moved ahead. In 1967 they stood at #193 and #173; by 1968 that had become #196 and #203.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Daniel #33, Harry #431.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys33 shared years, 1992–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Harry in 11.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1995, Harry #15 in 2018.
The order changed in 2015: Harry moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #25 and #29; by 2015 that had become #28 and #27.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #64, Harry #39.
New Zealand · Boys30 shared years, 1994–2023
Daniel held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Harry in 5.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1994, Harry #22 in 2018.
The order changed in 2022: Harry moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #49 and #58; by 2022 that had become #52 and #40.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Daniel #53, Harry #40.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Harry in 19.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1996, Harry #1 in 2011.
The order changed in 2006: Harry moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #6 and #9; by 2006 that had become #8 and #5.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #59, Harry #20.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Harry in 8.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 2010, Harry #4 in 2012.
The order changed in 2024: Harry moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #16 and #18; by 2024 that had become #37 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #37, Harry #13.
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 | Daniel | Harry |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'God is my judge', referencing the biblical prophet Daniel. | A diminutive/pet form, inheriting its meaning from Henry — 'home ruler' — and functioning, in modern times, as a nickname for both Henry and names beginning with 'Har-'. During the Middle Ages in England, Henry was generally rendered as Harry or Herry in English pronunciation. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdænjəl/ | /ˈhæri/ |
| 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #13 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Daniel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Harry is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin.
- Daniel and Harry both have 2 syllables.
- Daniel's recorded meaning differs from Harry'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
Daniel
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #280 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New Zealand, in 1980 (recorded 1954–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #64 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Harry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #70 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #39 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys