Harry vs Sebastian
Harry and Sebastiancompared 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 Sebastian #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Harry was ranked #19 and Sebastian #47 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Harry was ranked #25 and Sebastian #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Harry was ranked #431 and Sebastian #29 among boys in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Harry was ranked #39 and Sebastian #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #31 and Sebastian #116 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Harry was ranked #40 and Sebastian #52 among boys in New Zealand.
Harry and Sebastian over time
Harry and Sebastian appear together in 6 published lists, across 162 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Sebastian in 1.
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.
Harry reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Sebastian 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 2021, Sebastian moved ahead of Harry in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #30 and #36 the year before became #33 and #28.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Harry and Sebastian averaged 58.0 places apart, ending at #19 and #47.
- Mirrored each other
Over 23 shared years in Norway · Boys, Sebastian rose about as far as Harry fell — from #203 and #415 in 1968 to #431 and #29 in 2019.
- Longest-running competitions
Harry and Sebastian were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #19 and #47.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Harry #22 in 2018, Sebastian #52 in 2018.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys38 shared years, 1972–2025
Harry held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harry #6 in 2018, Sebastian #80 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harry #25, Sebastian #125.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Harry held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harry #1 in 2011, Sebastian #28 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harry #19, Sebastian #47.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025
Harry held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sebastian in 5.
Highest recorded here: Harry #15 in 2018, Sebastian #20 in 2022.
The order changed in 2021: Sebastian moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #30 and #36; by 2021 that had become #33 and #28.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harry #39, Sebastian #31.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1999–2024
Harry held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harry #4 in 2012, Sebastian #102 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harry #13, Sebastian #154.
Norway · Boys23 shared years, 1968–2019
Harry held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Sebastian in 20.
Highest recorded here: Harry #203 in 1968, Sebastian #21 in 2017.
The order changed in 1971: Sebastian moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #260 and #436; by 1971 that had become #359 and #347.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Harry #431, Sebastian #29.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2002–2023
Harry held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harry #22 in 2018, Sebastian #52 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Harry #40, Sebastian #52.
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 | Sebastian |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Traditionally interpreted as 'venerable' or 'revered' — from Latin Sebastianus, 'from Sebaste' (a city in Asia Minor), whose own name derives from a Greek word used to translate the Roman imperial title Augustus. |
| Origin | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry | Latin, from Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhæri/ | /səˈbæstʃən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| 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 | England and Wales · Boys #19 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #31 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 65/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 70/100 |
| 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 Sebastian is recorded with a Latin, from Greek origin.
- Harry has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Sebastian.
- Harry's recorded meaning differs from Sebastian'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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Sebastian
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #415 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1968–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1968–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys