Henry vs Richard
Henry 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #14 and Richard #398 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Henry was ranked #40 and Richard #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Henry was ranked #56 and Richard #481 among boys in Norway.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1999, Henry was ranked #58 and Richard #81 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1997, Henry was ranked #76 and Richard #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Henry was ranked #76 and Richard #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #95 and Richard #619 among boys in Scotland.
Henry and Richard over time
Henry and Richard appear together in 5 published lists, across 211 years of shared records. Richard held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Henry in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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 4 of those lists, Henry 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 1996, Henry moved ahead of Richard in New Zealand · Boys — #72 and #60 the year before became #55 and #69.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Henry and Richard changed places 6 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2023, ending at #56 and #481.
- Longest-running competitions
Henry and Richard were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 79 years, from 1945 to 2023, ending at #56 and #481.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1996 they stood at #58 and #62 in England and Wales · Boys, 4 places apart; by 2024 they were #14 and #398.
List by list
Norway · Boys79 shared years, 1945–2023
Henry held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Richard in 47.
Highest recorded here: Henry #56 in 2023, Richard #80 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Henry #56, Richard #481.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Henry held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Richard in 48.
Highest recorded here: Henry #60 in 1964, Richard #20 in 1986.
The order changed in 2013: Henry moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #141 and #129; by 2013 that had become #102 and #171.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #76, Richard #232.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Henry held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: Henry #10 in 2021, Richard #62 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Henry #14, Richard #398.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2022
Henry held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Richard in 8.
Highest recorded here: Henry #40 in 2022, Richard #77 in 1999.
The order changed in 2006: Henry moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #192 and #149; by 2006 that had become #167 and #180.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Henry #40, Richard #311.
New Zealand · Boys17 shared years, 1954–1999
Henry held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Richard in 13.
Highest recorded here: Henry #55 in 1996, Richard #10 in 1963.
The order changed in 1996: Henry moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #72 and #60; by 1996 that had become #55 and #69.
Most recent shared year, 1999: Henry #58, Richard #81.
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 | Richard |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Home ruler, estate ruler. | 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 | Germanic, via Old French Henri | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɛnɹi/ | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.əɹd/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| 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) | 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 | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Henry is recorded with a Germanic, via Old French Henri origin, while Richard is recorded with a Germanic origin.
- Henry and Richard both have 2 syllables.
- Henry'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.
- The available evidence gives Henry a "high" Data Confidence level and Richard 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
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