Mads vs Richard
Mads 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Mads was ranked #4991 and Richard #411 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Mads was ranked #469 and Richard #481 among boys in Norway.
Mads and Richard over time
Mads and Richard appear together in 1 published list, across 78 years of shared records. Mads held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Richard in 0.
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.
Richard reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Mads 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 1985, Mads moved ahead of Richard in Norway · Boys — #97 and #95 the year before became #76 and #110.
- Longest-running competitions
Mads and Richard were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 78 years, from 1945 to 2023, ending at #469 and #481.
List by list
Norway · Boys78 shared years, 1945–2023
Mads held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Richard in 38.
Highest recorded here: Mads #46 in 1988, Richard #80 in 1979.
The order changed in 1985: Mads moved ahead. In 1984 they stood at #97 and #95; by 1985 that had become #76 and #110.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Mads #469, Richard #481.
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 | Mads | 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 | Not yet recorded | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.əɹd/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 #285 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Richard has a recorded origin (Germanic); Mads does not have one recorded yet.
- Mads has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Richard.
- A meaning is recorded for Richard; Mads doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Mads
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #288 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: #46 among boys in Norway, in 1988 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #285 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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 #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys