Harry vs Leo
Harry and Leocompared 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 Leo #5 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Harry was ranked #39 and Leo #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Harry was ranked #40 and Leo #5 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #31 and Leo #5 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Harry was ranked #25 and Leo #10 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #13 and Leo #12 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Harry was ranked #431 and Leo #39 among boys in Norway.
Harry and Leo over time
Harry and Leo appear together in 6 published lists, across 175 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Leo in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Harry reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Leo 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 2020, Leo moved ahead of Harry in England and Wales · Boys — #5 and #6 the year before became #8 and #6.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Harry and Leo changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1965 and 2025, ending at #25 and #10.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Harry and Leo averaged 50.4 places apart, ending at #20 and #5.
- Longest-running competitions
Harry and Leo were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 57 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #25 and #10.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Harry #22 in 2018, Leo #3 in 2019.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys57 shared years, 1965–2025
Harry held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Leo in 25.
Highest recorded here: Harry #6 in 2018, Leo #10 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harry #25, Leo #10.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Harry held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Leo in 5.
Highest recorded here: Harry #1 in 2011, Leo #5 in 2022.
The order changed in 2020: Leo moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #5 and #6; by 2020 that had become #8 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harry #20, Leo #5.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Harry held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Leo in 3.
Highest recorded here: Harry #4 in 2012, Leo #6 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harry #13, Leo #12.
Norway · Boys23 shared years, 1947–2019
Harry held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Leo in 11.
Highest recorded here: Harry #83 in 1947, Leo #39 in 2019.
The order changed in 1986: Leo moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #575 and #627; by 1986 that had become #574 and #394.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Harry #431, Leo #39.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Harry held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Leo in 13.
Highest recorded here: Harry #22 in 2018, Leo #3 in 2019.
The order changed in 2011: Leo moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #41 and #42; by 2011 that had become #41 and #36.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Harry #40, Leo #5.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Harry held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Leo in 12.
Highest recorded here: Harry #15 in 2018, Leo #3 in 2022.
The order changed in 2014: Leo moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #30 and #38; by 2014 that had become #29 and #28.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harry #39, Leo #5.
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 | Leo |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | Lion. |
| Origin | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhæri/ | /ˈliːoʊ/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #5 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Harry is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin, while Leo is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Harry has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Leo.
- Harry's recorded meaning differs from Leo's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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
Leo
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys