Graham vs Raphael
Graham and Raphaelcompared 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, Graham was ranked #5119 and Raphael #158 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Graham was ranked #770 and Raphael #268 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Graham was ranked #727 and Raphael #268 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2009, Graham was ranked #329 and Raphael #390 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Graham and Raphael over time
Graham and Raphael appear together in 2 published lists, across 68 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Graham and Raphael changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1965 and 2023, ending at #770 and #268.
- Longest-running competitions
Graham and Raphael were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 39 years, from 1965 to 2023, ending at #770 and #268.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys39 shared years, 1965–2023
Graham held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Raphael in 4.
Highest recorded here: Graham #52 in 1984, Raphael #170 in 1965.
The order changed in 2018: Raphael moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #541 and #713; by 2018 that had become #635 and #471.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Graham #770, Raphael #268.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Graham held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Raphael in 26.
Highest recorded here: Graham #341 in 1996, Raphael #156 in 2023.
The order changed in 1999: Raphael moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #398 and #437; by 1999 that had become #516 and #352.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Graham #5119, Raphael #158.
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 | Graham | Raphael |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #727 (2024) | Norway · Boys #415 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Graham and Raphael both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Graham
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #20 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1979
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1979).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5119 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Raphael
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #156 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys