David vs Leonard
David and Leonardcompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1961, David was ranked #1 and Leonard #99 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1958, David was ranked #2 and Leonard #100 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #45 and Leonard #272 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #64 and Leonard #244 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Leonard #352 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, David was ranked #83 and Leonard #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #88 and Leonard #173 among boys in Norway.
David and Leonard over time
David and Leonard appear together in 4 published lists, across 140 years of shared records. David held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Leonard in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Leonard were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 43 years, from 1954 to 2025, ending at #88 and #173.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2025
David held the stronger position in 60 of those years, Leonard in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1985, Leonard #108 in 1975.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #45, Leonard #272.
Norway · Boys43 shared years, 1954–2025
David held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Leonard in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, Leonard #144 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, Leonard #173.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
David held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Leonard in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Leonard #217 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: David #64, Leonard #244.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys8 shared years, 1952–1961
David held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Leonard in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1961, Leonard #73 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1961: David #1, Leonard #99.
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 | David | Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) | Norway · Boys #173 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- David has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Leonard does not have one recorded yet.
- David and Leonard both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for David; Leonard doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
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
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Leonard
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #73 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1961
Highest recorded position: #73 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1961).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #173 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys