Namewise

Harold vs Reginald

Harold and Reginaldcompared 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 1953, Harold was ranked #99 and Reginald #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Harold was ranked #1025 and Reginald #239 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 1989, Harold was ranked #278 and Reginald #307 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Harold and Reginald over time

Harold and Reginald appear together in 2 published lists, across 41 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Harold reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Reginald 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.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Harold and Reginald changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1965 and 1989, ending at #278 and #307.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Harold #135 in 1965, Reginald #194 in 1965.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 19962024

    Harold held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Reginald in 17.

    Highest recorded here: Harold #394 in 1996, Reginald #224 in 2020.

    The order changed in 2009: Reginald moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #964 and #1085; by 2009 that had become #1008 and #682.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Harold #1025, Reginald #239.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 19651989

    Harold held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Reginald in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Harold #135 in 1965, Reginald #194 in 1965.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1989: Harold #278, Reginald #307.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Harold, Reginald
FieldHaroldReginald
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Pronunciation
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, IEAU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Boys #1025 (2024)Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10076/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Harold has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Reginald.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE.

How each name got here

Harold

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #88 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–1953

    Highest recorded position: #88 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1953).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2024

    Most recently recorded at #1025 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.

    England and Wales · Boys

Reginald

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #91 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–1954

    Highest recorded position: #85 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1954).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys