Leo vs William
Leo and Williamcompared 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 2025, Leo was ranked #28 and William #3 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #5 and William #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Leo was ranked #5 and William #14 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #5 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Leo was ranked #10 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Leo was ranked #12 and William #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Leo and William over time
Leo and William appear together in 6 published lists, across 214 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Leo in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
William reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 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.
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 2017, Leo moved ahead of William in England and Wales · Boys — #13 and #11 the year before became #7 and #11.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Leo and William averaged 50.3 places apart, ending at #5 and #27.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Leo rose about as far as William fell — from #271 and #26 in 1997 to #12 and #64 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Leo and William were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 57 years, from 1947 to 2025, ending at #28 and #3.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 10 of those years, William in 52.
Highest recorded here: Leo #10 in 2025, William #8 in 1964.
The order changed in 2016: Leo moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #53 and #51; by 2016 that had become #44 and #50.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #10, William #73.
Norway · Boys57 shared years, 1947–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 57.
Highest recorded here: Leo #28 in 2025, William #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #28, William #3.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 8 of those years, William in 21.
Highest recorded here: Leo #5 in 2022, William #7 in 2006.
The order changed in 2017: Leo moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #13 and #11; by 2017 that had become #7 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #5, William #27.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Leo held the stronger position in 12 of those years, William in 16.
Highest recorded here: Leo #6 in 2023, William #26 in 1997.
The order changed in 2013: Leo moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #51 and #42; by 2013 that had become #30 and #36.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leo #12, William #64.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023
Leo held the stronger position in 6 of those years, William in 15.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2019, William #3 in 2008.
The order changed in 2018: Leo moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #11 and #4; by 2018 that had become #4 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Leo #5, William #14.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys17 shared years, 2009–2025
Leo held the stronger position in 4 of those years, William in 13.
Highest recorded here: Leo #3 in 2022, William #1 in 2009.
The order changed in 2022: Leo moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #6 and #4; by 2022 that had become #3 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leo #5, William #11.
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 | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Lion. | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Latin | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈliːoʊ/ | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #5 (2025) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Leo is recorded with a Latin origin, while William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
- Leo has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for William.
- Leo's recorded meaning differs from William's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys