Dylan vs Harry
Dylan 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, Dylan was ranked #154 and Harry #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dylan was ranked #64 and Harry #20 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Dylan was ranked #69 and Harry #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Dylan was ranked #104 and Harry #31 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2022, Dylan was ranked #91 and Harry #32 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, Dylan was ranked #80 and Harry #39 among boys in New Zealand.
Dylan and Harry over time
Dylan and Harry appear together in 5 published lists, across 165 years of shared records. Dylan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Harry in 2.
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.
Dylan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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 2009, Harry moved ahead of Dylan in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #29 and #32 the year before became #32 and #29.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Dylan and Harry averaged 29.7 places apart, ending at #64 and #20.
- Longest-running competitions
Dylan and Harry were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 52 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #69 and #25.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Dylan #16 in 2010, Harry #1 in 2011.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys52 shared years, 1969–2025
Dylan held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Harry in 15.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #7 in 1998, Harry #6 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dylan #69, Harry #25.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dylan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harry in 29.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #16 in 2010, Harry #1 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dylan #64, Harry #20.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys29 shared years, 1992–2022
Dylan held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Harry in 13.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #12 in 1995, Harry #15 in 2018.
The order changed in 2009: Harry moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #29 and #32; by 2009 that had become #32 and #29.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Dylan #91, Harry #32.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Dylan held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Harry in 15.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #7 in 2001, Harry #4 in 2012.
The order changed in 2009: Harry moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #8 and #16; by 2009 that had become #11 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dylan #154, Harry #13.
New Zealand · Boys27 shared years, 1994–2020
Dylan held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Harry in 9.
Highest recorded here: Dylan #13 in 1998, Harry #22 in 2018.
The order changed in 2012: Harry moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #39 and #41; by 2012 that had become #44 and #37.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Dylan #80, Harry #39.
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 | Dylan | Harry |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with the sea/tide — popularly glossed as 'great tide' or 'born from the sea', reflecting the mythological figure's role. Some scholars theorise the figure may reflect an earlier, otherwise unattested Celtic sea god — treat as a proposed origin, not settled fact. | 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 | Welsh | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɪlən/ | /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, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #69 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dylan is recorded with a Welsh origin, while Harry is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin.
- Dylan and Harry both have 2 syllables.
- Dylan'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, NZ.
How each name got here
Dylan
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #246 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1980–2020
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1980–2020).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 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