Marcel vs Richard
Marcel 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Marcel was ranked #372 and Richard #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Marcel was ranked #279 and Richard #481 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Marcel was ranked #392 and Richard #304 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Marcel was ranked #475 and Richard #398 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Marcel was ranked #535 and Richard #619 among boys in Scotland.
Marcel and Richard over time
Marcel and Richard appear together in 4 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Richard held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Marcel 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 4 of those lists, and Marcel 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
Marcel and Richard changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #475 and #398.
- Longest-running competitions
Marcel and Richard were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 55 years, from 1950 to 2023, ending at #279 and #481.
List by list
Norway · Boys55 shared years, 1950–2023
Marcel held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Richard in 38.
Highest recorded here: Marcel #202 in 2020, Richard #80 in 1979.
The order changed in 2009: Marcel moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #281 and #277; by 2009 that had become #313 and #316.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Marcel #279, Richard #481.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Marcel held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Richard in 19.
Highest recorded here: Marcel #221 in 2018, Richard #62 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Marcel #475, Richard #398.
Republic of Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 2005–2025
Marcel held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Richard in 18.
Highest recorded here: Marcel #148 in 2014, Richard #108 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Marcel #372, Richard #232.
Northern Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 2007–2020
Marcel held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Richard in 8.
Highest recorded here: Marcel #234 in 2018, Richard #167 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Marcel #392, Richard #304.
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 | Marcel | 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #360 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Richard has a recorded origin (Germanic); Marcel does not have one recorded yet.
- Marcel and Richard both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Richard; Marcel doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Marcel
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #383 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2005–2025
Highest recorded position: #148 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2014 (recorded 2005–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #360 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