Harry vs Jeffrey
Harry and Jeffreycompared 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, Harry was ranked #20 and Jeffrey #1595 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Harry was ranked #24 and Jeffrey #770 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 1997, Harry was ranked #87 and Jeffrey #248 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Harry and Jeffrey over time
Harry and Jeffrey appear together in 2 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Jeffrey in 0.
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.
Jeffrey reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Harry 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 1994, Harry moved ahead of Jeffrey in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #160 and #142 the year before became #114 and #180.
- Longest-running competitions
Harry and Jeffrey were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 52 years, from 1965 to 2023, ending at #24 and #770.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys52 shared years, 1965–2023
Harry held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Jeffrey in 24.
Highest recorded here: Harry #6 in 2018, Jeffrey #122 in 1986.
The order changed in 1994: Harry moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #160 and #142; by 1994 that had become #114 and #180.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Harry #24, Jeffrey #770.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Harry held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Jeffrey in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harry #1 in 2011, Jeffrey #476 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harry #20, Jeffrey #1595.
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 | Harry | Jeffrey |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1595 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Harry has a recorded origin (English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry); Jeffrey does not have one recorded yet.
- Harry and Jeffrey both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Harry; Jeffrey doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
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
Jeffrey
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #39 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 recorded1952–1986
Highest recorded position: #30 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1962 (recorded 1952–1986).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1595 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys