Ethan vs Henry
Ethan and Henrycompared 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 2025, Ethan was ranked #49 and Henry #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Ethan was ranked #24 and Henry #8 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #48 and Henry #14 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #57 and Henry #45 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #315 and Henry #50 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ethan was ranked #51 and Henry #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ethan was ranked #54 and Henry #95 among boys in Scotland.
Ethan and Henry over time
Ethan and Henry appear together in 5 published lists, across 159 years of shared records. Ethan held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Henry in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ethan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Henry 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Henry moved into the top 50 at #45 in 2024 as Ethan fell out of it to #57, having been #19 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2017, Henry moved ahead of Ethan in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #7 and #18 the year before became #9 and #6.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Ethan and Henry averaged 20.6 places apart, ending at #48 and #14.
- Longest-running competitions
Ethan and Henry were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 31 years, from 1993 to 2025, ending at #49 and #6.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1989–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Henry in 2.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #30 in 2012, Henry #75 in 2016.
The order changed in 1992: Ethan moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #142 and #140; by 1992 that had become #127 and #144.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #51, Henry #76.
New Zealand · Boys34 shared years, 1990–2023
Ethan held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Henry in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #5 in 2002, Henry #8 in 2023.
The order changed in 2022: Henry moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #27 and #29; by 2022 that had become #41 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ethan #24, Henry #8.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys31 shared years, 1993–2025
Ethan held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Henry in 9.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Henry #4 in 2023.
The order changed in 2017: Henry moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #7 and #18; by 2017 that had become #9 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethan #49, Henry #6.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Henry in 13.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #11 in 2011, Henry #10 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #48, Henry #14.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ethan held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Henry in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ethan #4 in 2011, Henry #22 in 2023.
The order changed in 2024: Henry moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #19 and #22; by 2024 that had become #57 and #45.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ethan #57, Henry #45.
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 | Ethan | Henry |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with qualities like 'solid, enduring, firm'. | Home ruler, estate ruler. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Germanic, via Old French Henri |
| Pronunciation | /ˈiːθən/ | /ˈhɛnɹi/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Harry, Hal, Heinrich, Henri |
| 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #49 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #6 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Ethan is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Henry is recorded with a Germanic, via Old French Henri origin.
- Ethan and Henry both have 2 syllables.
- Ethan's recorded meaning differs from Henry's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Ethan a "medium" Data Confidence level and Henry a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Ethan
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #208 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1991–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011 (recorded 1991–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Henry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #102 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1993–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 1993–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys