Namewise

Lawrence vs Leonard

Lawrence and Leonardcompared 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 Zealand · Boys

    In 1958, Lawrence was ranked #93 and Leonard #100 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 1957, Lawrence was ranked #98 and Leonard #99 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Lawrence was ranked #576 and Leonard #244 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Lawrence was ranked #829 and Leonard #272 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Lawrence and Leonard over time

Lawrence and Leonard appear together in 2 published lists, across 71 years of shared records. Leonard held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Lawrence in 0.

The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Lawrence reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Leonard 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.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Lawrence and Leonard changed places 9 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2025, ending at #829 and #272.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Lawrence and Leonard were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 42 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #829 and #272.

  • Started together, ended far apart

    In 1964 they stood at #119 and #125 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #829 and #272.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys42 shared years, 19642025

    Lawrence held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Leonard in 32.

    Highest recorded here: Lawrence #101 in 1967, Leonard #108 in 1975.

    The order changed in 2007: Leonard moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #423 and #500; by 2007 that had become #527 and #435.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Lawrence #829, Leonard #272.

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 19962024

    Lawrence held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Leonard in 15.

    Highest recorded here: Lawrence #152 in 1996, Leonard #217 in 2019.

    The order changed in 2011: Leonard moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #355 and #413; by 2011 that had become #369 and #361.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Lawrence #576, Leonard #244.

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 Lawrence, Leonard
FieldLawrenceLeonard
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025)Norway · Boys #173 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)76/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Lawrence has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Leonard.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Lawrence

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #77 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1952–1957

    Highest recorded position: #77 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1957).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

Leonard

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #73 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1952–1961

    Highest recorded position: #73 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1961).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #173 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys