Namewise

David vs Harry

David 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, David was ranked #104 and Harry #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2018, David was ranked #97 and Harry #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, David was ranked #73 and Harry #19 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, David was ranked #45 and Harry #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Harry #31 among boys in Scotland.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2020, David was ranked #84 and Harry #39 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2019, David was ranked #67 and Harry #431 among boys in Norway.

David and Harry over time

David and Harry appear together in 6 published lists, across 212 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, David in 2.

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.

David 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys, Harry moved into the top 50 at #44 in 2002 as David fell out of it to #52, having been #42 the year before.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2002, Harry moved ahead of David in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #42 and #48 the year before became #52 and #44.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, David and Harry averaged 45.3 places apart, ending at #73 and #19.

  • Longest-running competitions

    David and Harry were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #73 and #19.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys57 shared years, 1965–2025

    David held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Harry in 16.

    Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Harry #6 in 2018.

    The order changed in 2010: Harry moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #25 and #28; by 2010 that had become #25 and #20.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Harry #25.

  • Norway · Boys46 shared years, 1945–2019

    David held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Harry in 16.

    Highest recorded here: David #61 in 1991, Harry #69 in 1946.

    The order changed in 1962: David moved ahead. In 1961 they stood at #137 and #124; by 1962 that had become #125 and #128.

    Most recent shared year, 2019: David #67, Harry #431.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    David held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harry in 30.

    Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Harry #1 in 2011.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: David #73, Harry #19.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    David held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Harry in 20.

    Highest recorded here: David #9 in 1997, Harry #4 in 2012.

    The order changed in 2005: Harry moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #19 and #38; by 2005 that had become #34 and #32.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: David #104, Harry #13.

  • New Zealand · Boys27 shared years, 1994–2020

    David held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Harry in 17.

    Highest recorded here: David #20 in 1994, Harry #22 in 2018.

    The order changed in 2004: Harry moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #49 and #50; by 2004 that had become #51 and #37.

    Most recent shared year, 2020: David #84, Harry #39.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys24 shared years, 1992–2018

    David held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Harry in 15.

    Highest recorded here: David #16 in 1992, Harry #15 in 2018.

    The order changed in 2002: Harry moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #42 and #48; by 2002 that had become #52 and #44.

    Most recent shared year, 2018: David #97, Harry #15.

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 David

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

Other comparisons involving Harry

Pairs where Harry 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 took the other's place near the top.

All one took the other's place near the top→

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 David, Harry
FieldDavidHarry
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningCommonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root.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.
OriginBiblical HebrewEnglish, medieval form/diminutive of Henry
Pronunciation/ˈdeɪvɪd//ˈhæri/
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 observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025)England and Wales · Boys #19 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • David is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Harry is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin.
  • David and Harry both have 2 syllables.
  • David'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

David

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #167 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 recorded1952–2018

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #73 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Harry

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys