Harry vs Richard
Harry and Richardcompared 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 2022, Harry was ranked #8 and Richard #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #20 and Richard #398 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Harry was ranked #25 and Richard #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #31 and Richard #619 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1999, Harry was ranked #66 and Richard #81 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1997, Harry was ranked #71 and Richard #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Harry was ranked #431 and Richard #476 among boys in Norway.
Harry and Richard over time
Harry and Richard appear together in 4 published lists, across 156 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Richard reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Harry 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 1998, Harry moved ahead of Richard in Northern Ireland · Boys — #87 and #81 the year before became #68 and #89.
- Longest-running competitions
Harry and Richard were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 46 years, from 1945 to 2019, ending at #431 and #476.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1997 they stood at #87 and #81 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2022 they were #8 and #311.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys57 shared years, 1965–2025
Harry held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Richard in 31.
Highest recorded here: Harry #6 in 2018, Richard #20 in 1986.
The order changed in 2000: Harry moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #70 and #63; by 2000 that had become #63 and #82.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harry #25, Richard #232.
Norway · Boys46 shared years, 1945–2019
Harry held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Richard in 25.
Highest recorded here: Harry #69 in 1946, Richard #82 in 1973.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Harry #431, Richard #476.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Harry held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harry #1 in 2011, Richard #62 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harry #20, Richard #398.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2022
Harry held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Richard in 1.
Highest recorded here: Harry #4 in 2012, Richard #77 in 1999.
The order changed in 1998: Harry moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #87 and #81; by 1998 that had become #68 and #89.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Harry #8, Richard #311.
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 | Richard |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | From Old German elements 'rih' (ruler, king) and 'hart' (hard, firm, brave, hardy) — 'brave ruler'. Introduced to England by the Normans in the 11th century. |
| Origin | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhæri/ | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.əɹd/ |
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin, while Richard is recorded with a Germanic origin.
- Harry and Richard both have 2 syllables.
- Harry's recorded meaning differs from Richard'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
Richard
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #219 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1999
Highest recorded position: #9 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1999).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys