Grant vs William
Grant and Williamcompared 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 Zealand · Boys
In 1987, Grant was ranked #99 and William #19 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Grant was ranked #4270 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1990, Grant was ranked #75 and William #27 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2006, Grant was ranked #341 and William #33 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2009, Grant was ranked #701 and William #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Grant was ranked #535 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
Grant and William over time
Grant and William appear together in 4 published lists, across 109 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Grant in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
William reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Grant 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Grant and William changed places 8 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1953 and 1990, ending at #75 and #27.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 38 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Grant and William averaged 21.5 places apart, ending at #75 and #27.
- Longest-running competitions
Grant and William were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 38 years, from 1953 to 1990, ending at #75 and #27.
List by list
New South Wales, Australia · Boys38 shared years, 1953–1990
Grant held the stronger position in 8 of those years, William in 30.
Highest recorded here: Grant #32 in 1966, William #12 in 1953.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1990: Grant #75, William #27.
New Zealand · Boys34 shared years, 1954–1987
Grant held the stronger position in 13 of those years, William in 21.
Highest recorded here: Grant #13 in 1964, William #11 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1987: Grant #99, William #19.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Grant held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 29.
Highest recorded here: Grant #128 in 1996, William #7 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grant #4270, William #27.
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1991–2009
Grant held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 8.
Highest recorded here: Grant #234 in 1996, William #29 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Grant #701, William #55.
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 | Grant | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- William has a recorded origin (Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm)); Grant does not have one recorded yet.
- Grant has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for William.
- A meaning is recorded for William; Grant doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Grant
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #93 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1987
Highest recorded position: #13 among boys in New Zealand, in 1964 (recorded 1954–1987).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys