Johannes vs Richard
Johannes 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Johannes was ranked #7 and Richard #481 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Johannes was ranked #2952 and Richard #431 among boys in England and Wales.
Johannes and Richard over time
Johannes and Richard appear together in 2 published lists, across 109 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Richard reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Johannes 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 79 shared years in Norway · Boys, Johannes rose about as far as Richard fell — from #75 and #219 in 1945 to #7 and #481 in 2023.
- Longest-running competitions
Johannes and Richard were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #2952 and #431.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Johannes #1168 in 1996, Richard #62 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys79 shared years, 1945–2023
Johannes held the stronger position in 52 of those years, Richard in 27.
Highest recorded here: Johannes #7 in 2023, Richard #80 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Johannes #7, Richard #481.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Johannes held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Richard in 30.
Highest recorded here: Johannes #1168 in 1996, Richard #62 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Johannes #2952, Richard #431.
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 | Johannes | Richard |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | 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 | Not yet recorded | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.əɹd/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #8 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Richard has a recorded origin (Germanic); Johannes does not have one recorded yet.
- Johannes has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Richard.
- A meaning is recorded for Richard; Johannes doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Johannes
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #75 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2952 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 #431 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys