George vs Henry
George 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, George was ranked #6 and Henry #14 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, George was ranked #24 and Henry #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, George was ranked #7 and Henry #8 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, George was ranked #40 and Henry #45 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, George was ranked #48 and Henry #95 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, George was ranked #364 and Henry #56 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, George was ranked #112 and Henry #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
George and Henry over time
George and Henry appear together in 6 published lists, across 250 years of shared records. George held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Henry in 2.
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.
George reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2005, Henry moved ahead of George in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #64 and #72 the year before became #67 and #64.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
George and Henry changed places 10 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #40 and #45.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, George and Henry averaged 21.2 places apart, ending at #6 and #14.
- Longest-running competitions
George and Henry were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 31 years, from 1993 to 2025, ending at #24 and #6.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — George #24 in 2023, Henry #4 in 2023.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
George held the stronger position in 49 of those years, Henry in 13.
Highest recorded here: George #52 in 1964, Henry #60 in 1964.
The order changed in 2025: Henry moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #88 and #99; by 2025 that had become #112 and #76.
Most recent shared year, 2025: George #112, Henry #76.
Norway · Boys59 shared years, 1946–2023
George held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Henry in 44.
Highest recorded here: George #253 in 1968, Henry #56 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: George #364, Henry #56.
New Zealand · Boys41 shared years, 1954–2023
George held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Henry in 0.
Highest recorded here: George #5 in 2021, Henry #8 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: George #7, Henry #8.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys31 shared years, 1993–2025
George held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Henry in 21.
Highest recorded here: George #24 in 2023, Henry #4 in 2023.
The order changed in 2005: Henry moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #64 and #72; by 2005 that had become #67 and #64.
Most recent shared year, 2025: George #24, Henry #6.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
George held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Henry in 0.
Highest recorded here: George #2 in 2018, Henry #10 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: George #6, Henry #14.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
George held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Henry in 10.
Highest recorded here: George #25 in 2023, Henry #22 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: George #40, 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 | George | Henry |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Farmer, earth-worker. | Home ruler, estate ruler. |
| Origin | Greek | Germanic, via Old French Henri |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒɔːdʒ/ | /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 #24 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #6 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- George is recorded with a Greek origin, while Henry is recorded with a Germanic, via Old French Henri origin.
- George and Henry both have 2 syllables.
- George'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 George 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
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
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