Namewise

Henry vs Theodore

Henry and Theodorecompared 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 Theodore #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Henry was ranked #8 and Theodore #6 among boys in New Zealand.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Henry was ranked #14 and Theodore #8 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Henry was ranked #45 and Theodore #32 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Henry was ranked #95 and Theodore #36 among boys in Scotland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Henry was ranked #76 and Theodore #44 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Henry and Theodore over time

Henry and Theodore appear together in 5 published lists, across 95 years of shared records. Henry held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Theodore in 0.

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.

Henry reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Theodore 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 2022, Theodore moved ahead of Henry in England and Wales · Boys — #10 and #11 the year before became #13 and #8.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Henry #10 in 2021, Theodore #8 in 2022.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 19962024

    Henry held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Theodore in 3.

    Highest recorded here: Henry #10 in 2021, Theodore #8 in 2022.

    The order changed in 2022: Theodore moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #10 and #11; by 2022 that had become #13 and #8.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Henry #14, Theodore #8.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 19642025

    Henry held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Theodore in 7.

    Highest recorded here: Henry #60 in 1964, Theodore #44 in 2025.

    The order changed in 2019: Theodore moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #81 and #93; by 2019 that had become #83 and #72.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #76, Theodore #44.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 20012024

    Henry held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Theodore in 2.

    Highest recorded here: Henry #22 in 2023, Theodore #32 in 2024.

    The order changed in 2024: Theodore moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #22 and #47; by 2024 that had become #45 and #32.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Henry #45, Theodore #32.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys11 shared years, 20152025

    Henry held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Theodore in 3.

    Highest recorded here: Henry #4 in 2023, Theodore #3 in 2024.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Henry #6, Theodore #3.

  • New Zealand · Boys11 shared years, 20132023

    Henry held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Theodore in 5.

    Highest recorded here: Henry #8 in 2023, Theodore #6 in 2022.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Henry #8, Theodore #6.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Henry, Theodore
FieldHenryTheodore
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningHome ruler, estate ruler.Gift of God.
OriginGermanic, via Old French HenriGreek
Pronunciation/ˈhɛnɹi//ˈθiəˌdɔɹ/
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesHarry, Hal, Heinrich, HenriTeddy
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Boys #6 (2025)New South Wales, Australia · Boys #3 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10076/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighhigh

What the data shows

  • Henry is recorded with a Germanic, via Old French Henri origin, while Theodore is recorded with a Greek origin.
  • Henry has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Theodore.
  • Henry's recorded meaning differs from Theodore's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Henry

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1993–2025

    Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 1993–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

Theodore

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1964

    First recorded at #214 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Highest recorded2015–2025

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 2015–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys