Leo vs Rafal
Leo and Rafalcompared 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 2023, Leo was ranked #5 and Rafal #4107 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2018, Leo was ranked #36 and Rafal #749 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2000, Leo was ranked #192 and Rafal #567 among boys in Norway.
Leo and Rafal over time
Leo and Rafal appear together in 2 published lists, across 41 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Rafal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Leo 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.
List by list
Norway · Boys22 shared years, 1972–2000
Leo held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Rafal in 19.
Highest recorded here: Leo #192 in 2000, Rafal #97 in 1976.
The order changed in 1995: Leo moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #333 and #321; by 1995 that had become #364 and #467.
Most recent shared year, 2000: Leo #192, Rafal #567.
England and Wales · Boys19 shared years, 2005–2023
Leo held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Rafal in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leo #5 in 2022, Rafal #1175 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Leo #5, Rafal #4107.
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 | Leo | Rafal |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Lion. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːoʊ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #5 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4107 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Leo has a recorded origin (Latin); Rafal does not have one recorded yet.
- Leo has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Rafal.
- A meaning is recorded for Leo; Rafal doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Leo
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2009–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2009–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Rafal
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #514 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1968–2000
Highest recorded position: #79 among boys in Norway, in 1975 (recorded 1968–2000).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4107 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys