Harry vs Theo
Harry and Theocompared 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #31 and Theo #4 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #13 and Theo #5 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Harry was ranked #20 and Theo #12 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Harry was ranked #40 and Theo #19 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Harry was ranked #25 and Theo #21 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Harry was ranked #39 and Theo #32 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Harry was ranked #431 and Theo #35 among boys in Norway.
Harry and Theo over time
Harry and Theo appear together in 5 published lists, across 100 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Theo in 1.
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 5 of those lists, and Theo 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 2022, Theo moved ahead of Harry in England and Wales · Boys — #7 and #15 the year before became #15 and #9.
- Longest-running competitions
Harry and Theo were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 30 years, from 1988 to 2025, ending at #25 and #21.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1988–2025
Harry held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Theo in 3.
Highest recorded here: Harry #6 in 2018, Theo #13 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harry #25, Theo #21.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Harry held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Theo in 3.
Highest recorded here: Harry #1 in 2011, Theo #9 in 2022.
The order changed in 2022: Theo moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #7 and #15; by 2022 that had become #15 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harry #20, Theo #12.
Northern Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 2001–2024
Harry held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Theo in 5.
Highest recorded here: Harry #4 in 2012, Theo #4 in 2022.
The order changed in 2020: Theo moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #5 and #13; by 2020 that had become #9 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harry #13, Theo #5.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 2014–2023
Harry held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Theo in 4.
Highest recorded here: Harry #22 in 2018, Theo #19 in 2023.
The order changed in 2020: Theo moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #38 and #44; by 2020 that had become #39 and #35.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Harry #40, Theo #19.
Norway · Boys8 shared years, 1986–2019
Harry held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Theo in 5.
Highest recorded here: Harry #396 in 1990, Theo #35 in 2017.
The order changed in 2017: Theo moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #410 and #541; by 2017 that had become #478 and #35.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Harry #431, Theo #35.
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 | Theo |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Gift of God. |
| Origin | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry | Greek, via Theodore/Theodora |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhæri/ | /ˈθioʊ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Teddy |
| 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 #21 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Harry is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin, while Theo is recorded with a Greek, via Theodore/Theodora origin.
- Harry has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Theo.
- Harry's recorded meaning differs from Theo's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Harry a "medium" Data Confidence level and Theo a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Theo
Popularity journey
First recorded1986
First recorded at #637 among boys in Norway in 1986 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2001–2024
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 2001–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #32 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys