George vs Harry
George 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, George was ranked #6 and Harry #20 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, George was ranked #7 and Harry #40 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, George was ranked #40 and Harry #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, George was ranked #24 and Harry #39 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, George was ranked #112 and Harry #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, George was ranked #48 and Harry #31 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2017, George was ranked #361 and Harry #478 among boys in Norway.
George and Harry over time
George and Harry appear together in 6 published lists, across 213 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, George in 1.
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.
Harry reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, George 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2018, George moved ahead of Harry in England and Wales · Boys — #3 and #2 the year before became #2 and #3.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
George and Harry changed places 7 times in Norway · Boys between 1946 and 2017, ending at #361 and #478.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, George and Harry averaged 6.4 places apart, ending at #6 and #20.
- Mirrored each other
Over 57 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Harry rose about as far as George fell — from #56 and #250 in 1965 to #112 and #25 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
George and Harry were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 33 years, from 1992 to 2025, ending at #24 and #39.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys57 shared years, 1965–2025
George held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Harry in 32.
Highest recorded here: George #55 in 1966, Harry #6 in 2018.
The order changed in 1994: Harry moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #132 and #160; by 1994 that had become #135 and #114.
Most recent shared year, 2025: George #112, Harry #25.
Norway · Boys36 shared years, 1946–2017
George held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Harry in 23.
Highest recorded here: George #253 in 1968, Harry #69 in 1946.
The order changed in 2017: George moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #432 and #410; by 2017 that had become #361 and #478.
Most recent shared year, 2017: George #361, Harry #478.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys33 shared years, 1992–2025
George held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Harry in 22.
Highest recorded here: George #24 in 2023, Harry #15 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: George #24, Harry #39.
New Zealand · Boys30 shared years, 1994–2023
George held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Harry in 0.
Highest recorded here: George #5 in 2021, Harry #22 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: George #7, Harry #40.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
George held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Harry in 22.
Highest recorded here: George #2 in 2018, Harry #1 in 2011.
The order changed in 2018: George moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #3 and #2; by 2018 that had become #2 and #3.
Most recent shared year, 2024: George #6, Harry #20.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
George held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Harry in 28.
Highest recorded here: George #25 in 2023, Harry #4 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: George #40, Harry #13.
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 | George | Harry |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Farmer, earth-worker. | 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 | Greek | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒɔːdʒ/ | /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, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #24 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- George is recorded with a Greek origin, while Harry is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin.
- George and Harry both have 2 syllables.
- George'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
George
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in England and Wales, in 2018 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #24 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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