Dean vs Harry
Dean 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 2023, Dean was ranked #348 and Harry #18 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dean was ranked #651 and Harry #20 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Dean was ranked #432 and Harry #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Dean was ranked #727 and Harry #31 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2007, Dean was ranked #94 and Harry #33 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Dean and Harry over time
Dean and Harry appear together in 4 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Dean reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Harry 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 1999, Harry moved ahead of Dean in Northern Ireland · Boys — #51 and #68 the year before became #64 and #64.
- Mirrored each other
Over 56 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Harry rose about as far as Dean fell — from #229 and #199 in 1966 to #432 and #25 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Dean and Harry were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 56 years, from 1966 to 2025, ending at #432 and #25.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys56 shared years, 1966–2025
Dean held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Harry in 23.
Highest recorded here: Dean #24 in 1993, Harry #6 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dean #432, Harry #25.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dean held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harry in 29.
Highest recorded here: Dean #80 in 1996, Harry #1 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dean #651, Harry #20.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2023
Dean held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Harry in 21.
Highest recorded here: Dean #45 in 1997, Harry #4 in 2012.
The order changed in 1999: Harry moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #51 and #68; by 1999 that had become #64 and #64.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Dean #348, Harry #18.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys8 shared years, 1992–2007
Dean held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Harry in 3.
Highest recorded here: Dean #52 in 1992, Harry #33 in 2007.
The order changed in 1998: Harry moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #70 and #71; by 1998 that had become #79 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Dean #94, Harry #33.
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 | Dean | Harry |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhæri/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #432 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Harry has a recorded origin (English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry); Dean does not have one recorded yet.
- Dean has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Harry.
- A meaning is recorded for Harry; Dean doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Dean
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #95 among boys in New Zealand in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1956–1991
Highest recorded position: #13 among boys in New Zealand, in 1967 (recorded 1956–1991).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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