Mark vs Michael
Mark and Michaelcompared 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 2000, Mark was ranked #89 and Michael #16 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2001, Mark was ranked #90 and Michael #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Mark was ranked #99 and Michael #22 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Mark was ranked #177 and Michael #66 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Mark was ranked #169 and Michael #66 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Mark was ranked #277 and Michael #85 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Mark was ranked #286 and Michael #195 among boys in Norway.
Mark and Michael over time
Mark and Michael appear together in 6 published lists, across 289 years of shared records. Michael held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Mark in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Michael reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Mark in 2. 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 50 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Mark and Michael averaged 16.5 places apart, ending at #90 and #19.
- Longest-running competitions
Mark and Michael were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 50 years, from 1952 to 2001, ending at #90 and #19.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Mark #55 in 1996, Michael #22 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys74 shared years, 1950–2025
Mark held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Michael in 74.
Highest recorded here: Mark #211 in 1970, Michael #48 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mark #286, Michael #195.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Mark held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Michael in 62.
Highest recorded here: Mark #7 in 1974, Michael #2 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mark #99, Michael #22.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys50 shared years, 1952–2001
Mark held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Michael in 46.
Highest recorded here: Mark #2 in 1960, Michael #1 in 1974.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Mark #90, Michael #19.
New Zealand · Boys46 shared years, 1954–2000
Mark held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Michael in 46.
Highest recorded here: Mark #2 in 1974, Michael #1 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2000: Mark #89, Michael #16.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Mark held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Michael in 29.
Highest recorded here: Mark #55 in 1996, Michael #22 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mark #277, Michael #85.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Mark held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Michael in 28.
Highest recorded here: Mark #12 in 1999, Michael #7 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mark #177, Michael #66.
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 | Mark | Michael |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A form of the Latin name Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark authored the second Gospel and is patron saint of Venice. | Commonly interpreted as a rhetorical question, 'Who is like God?', implying no one compares to God. |
| Origin | Latin | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɑɹk/ | /ˈmaɪkəl/ |
| 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #99 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #22 (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
- Mark is recorded with a Latin origin, while Michael is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Mark has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Michael.
- Mark's recorded meaning differs from Michael'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
Mark
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #362 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2001
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1960 (recorded 1952–2001).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Michael
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #259 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 1974 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #62 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys