Henry vs Leo
Henry 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, Henry was ranked #14 and Leo #5 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Henry was ranked #6 and Leo #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Henry was ranked #8 and Leo #5 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #95 and Leo #5 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Henry was ranked #76 and Leo #10 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #45 and Leo #12 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Henry was ranked #50 and Leo #28 among boys in Norway.
Henry and Leo over time
Henry and Leo appear together in 6 published lists, across 214 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
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 2016, Leo moved ahead of Henry in England and Wales · Boys — #13 and #15 the year before became #15 and #13.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Henry and Leo changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #14 and #5.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Henry and Leo averaged 28.7 places apart, ending at #14 and #5.
- Longest-running competitions
Henry and Leo were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 57 years, from 1947 to 2025, ending at #50 and #28.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Henry #10 in 2021, Leo #5 in 2022.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Henry held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Leo in 28.
Highest recorded here: Henry #60 in 1964, Leo #10 in 2025.
The order changed in 2001: Leo moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #137 and #172; by 2001 that had become #174 and #114.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #76, Leo #10.
Norway · Boys57 shared years, 1947–2025
Henry held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Leo in 32.
Highest recorded here: Henry #50 in 2025, Leo #28 in 2025.
The order changed in 1998: Leo moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #326 and #330; by 1998 that had become #300 and #291.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #50, Leo #28.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Henry held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Leo in 14.
Highest recorded here: Henry #10 in 2021, Leo #5 in 2022.
The order changed in 2016: Leo moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #13 and #15; by 2016 that had become #15 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Henry #14, Leo #5.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Henry held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Leo in 23.
Highest recorded here: Henry #22 in 2023, Leo #6 in 2023.
The order changed in 2002: Leo moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #151 and #162; by 2002 that had become #144 and #133.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Henry #45, Leo #12.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Henry held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Leo in 16.
Highest recorded here: Henry #8 in 2023, Leo #3 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Henry #8, Leo #5.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Henry held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Leo in 6.
Highest recorded here: Henry #4 in 2023, Leo #3 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #6, 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 | Henry | Leo |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Home ruler, estate ruler. | Lion. |
| Origin | Germanic, via Old French Henri | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɛnɹi/ | /ˈliːoʊ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Harry, Hal, Heinrich, Henri | 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #6 (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 | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Henry is recorded with a Germanic, via Old French Henri origin, while Leo is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Henry has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Leo.
- Henry'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.
- The available evidence gives Henry a "high" Data Confidence level and Leo a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Henry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #102 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1993–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 1993–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #6 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