Namewise

Harry vs Oisin

Harry and Oisincompared 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.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Harry was ranked #13 and Oisin #9 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Harry was ranked #19 and Oisin #517 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Harry was ranked #25 and Oisin #262 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Harry was ranked #31 and Oisin #234 among boys in Scotland.

Harry and Oisin over time

Harry and Oisin appear together in 3 published lists, across 114 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Oisin in 1.

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.

Harry reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Oisin 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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2017, Harry moved ahead of Oisin in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #11 and #8 the year before became #8 and #11.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Harry and Oisin changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1965 and 2025, ending at #25 and #262.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Harry and Oisin averaged 9.8 places apart, ending at #13 and #9.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Harry and Oisin were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #19 and #517.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Harry #6 in 2018, Oisin #8 in 2016.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys56 shared years, 1965–2025

    Harry held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Oisin in 42.

    Highest recorded here: Harry #6 in 2018, Oisin #8 in 2016.

    The order changed in 2017: Harry moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #11 and #8; by 2017 that had become #8 and #11.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Harry #25, Oisin #262.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Harry held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Oisin in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Harry #1 in 2011, Oisin #433 in 2021.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Harry #19, Oisin #517.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Harry held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Oisin in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Harry #4 in 2012, Oisin #7 in 2022.

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

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Harry #13, Oisin #9.

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.

Other comparisons involving Oisin

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

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from Northern Ireland lists

Pairs measured inside Northern Ireland's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Northern Ireland overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Harry, Oisin
FieldHarryOisin
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningA 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.Traditionally interpreted as 'little deer', combining an Old Irish word for deer or stag with a diminutive ending.
OriginEnglish, medieval form/diminutive of HenryIrish
Pronunciation/ˈhæri//oʊˈʃiːn/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Boys #19 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #262 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Harry is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin, while Oisin is recorded with a Irish origin.
  • Harry and Oisin both have 2 syllables.
  • Harry's recorded meaning differs from Oisin's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.

How each name got here

Harry

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Oisin

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #517 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys