Harry vs Leiv

Harry and Leivcompared 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.

Norway · Boys
In 1991, Harry was ranked #575 and Leiv #491 among boys in Norway.

Harry and Leiv over time

Harry and Leiv appear together in 1 published list, across 39 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Leiv 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.

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
Harry and Leiv changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 1991, ending at #575 and #491.
Longest-running competitions
Harry and Leiv were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 39 years, from 1945 to 1991, ending at #575 and #491.
Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Harry #69 in 1946, Leiv #117 in 1946.

List by list

Norway · Boys39 shared years, 1945–1991
Harry held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Leiv in 10.
Highest recorded here: Harry #69 in 1946, Leiv #117 in 1946.
The order changed in 1980: Leiv moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #446 and #488; by 1980 that had become #634 and #434.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Harry #575, Leiv #491.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Harry

Pairs where Harry shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Harry vs Colin
In 1997 they stood at #87 and #96 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 9 places apart; by 2021 they were #10 and #433.
Harry · Colin · 21 shared years, 1997–2021 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2021 Northern Ireland ranking
Harry vs Johannes
In 1945 they stood at #70 and #75 in Norway · Boys, 5 places apart; by 2019 they were #431 and #13.
Harry · Johannes · 46 shared years, 1945–2019 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2019 Norway ranking
Harry vs Barry
In 1997 they stood at #87 and #90 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 3 places apart; by 2022 they were #8 and #414.
Harry · Barry · 21 shared years, 1997–2022 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2022 Northern Ireland ranking
Harry vs Kristian
In 1945 they stood at #70 and #79 in Norway · Boys, 9 places apart; by 2019 they were #431 and #75.
Harry · Kristian · 46 shared years, 1945–2019 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2019 Norway ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Harry, Leiv
Field	Harry	Leiv
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/	Not yet recorded
Syllables	2	1
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ	NO
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025)	Norway · Boys #551 (2011)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	90/100	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	94/100	95/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	40/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Harry has a recorded origin (English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry); Leiv does not have one recorded yet.
Harry has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Leiv.
A meaning is recorded for Harry; Leiv doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in NO.

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

Leiv

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #124 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2011
Highest recorded position: #117 among boys in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–2011).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2011
Most recently recorded at #551 among boys in Norway, in 2011.
Norway · Boys