Henry vs Sebastian
Henry 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Henry was ranked #6 and Sebastian #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Henry was ranked #8 and Sebastian #52 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #14 and Sebastian #45 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #45 and Sebastian #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Henry was ranked #50 and Sebastian #53 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Henry was ranked #76 and Sebastian #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Henry was ranked #95 and Sebastian #116 among boys in Scotland.
Henry and Sebastian over time
Henry and Sebastian appear together in 6 published lists, across 197 years of shared records. Henry held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Sebastian in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Sebastian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Henry and Sebastian changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 2000 and 2025, ending at #6 and #31.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Henry and Sebastian averaged 35.4 places apart, ending at #14 and #45.
- Longest-running competitions
Henry and Sebastian were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 58 years, from 1968 to 2025, ending at #50 and #53.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Henry #4 in 2023, Sebastian #20 in 2022.
List by list
Norway · Boys58 shared years, 1968–2025
Henry held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Sebastian in 53.
Highest recorded here: Henry #50 in 2025, Sebastian #6 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #50, Sebastian #53.
Republic of Ireland · Boys40 shared years, 1970–2025
Henry held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Sebastian in 10.
Highest recorded here: Henry #75 in 2016, Sebastian #80 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #76, Sebastian #125.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Henry held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Henry #10 in 2021, Sebastian #28 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Henry #14, Sebastian #45.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys25 shared years, 2000–2025
Henry held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Sebastian in 5.
Highest recorded here: Henry #4 in 2023, Sebastian #20 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #6, Sebastian #31.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1999–2024
Henry held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Henry #22 in 2023, Sebastian #102 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Henry #45, Sebastian #154.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2002–2023
Henry held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Henry #8 in 2023, Sebastian #52 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Henry #8, 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 | Henry | Sebastian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Home ruler, estate ruler. | 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 | Germanic, via Old French Henri | Latin, from Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɛnɹi/ | /səˈbæstʃən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| 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 #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 | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Henry is recorded with a Germanic, via Old French Henri origin, while Sebastian is recorded with a Latin, from Greek origin.
- Henry has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Sebastian.
- Henry'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.
- The available evidence gives Henry a "high" Data Confidence level and Sebastian 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
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 #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys