Mark vs Richard
Mark 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1997, Mark was ranked #62 and Richard #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1998, Mark was ranked #83 and Richard #78 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Mark was ranked #99 and Richard #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Mark was ranked #169 and Richard #619 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Mark was ranked #207 and Richard #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Mark was ranked #277 and Richard #398 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Mark was ranked #371 and Richard #481 among boys in Norway.
Mark and Richard over time
Mark and Richard appear together in 6 published lists, across 278 years of shared records. Mark held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Richard in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Mark reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Richard in 1. 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 1953, Mark moved ahead of Richard in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #27 and #25 the year before became #13 and #28.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Mark and Richard averaged 47.7 places apart, ending at #277 and #398.
- Longest-running competitions
Mark and Richard were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 46 years, from 1952 to 1997, ending at #62 and #98.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Mark #55 in 1996, Richard #62 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys72 shared years, 1950–2023
Mark held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Richard in 66.
Highest recorded here: Mark #211 in 1970, Richard #80 in 1979.
The order changed in 2019: Mark moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #457 and #359; by 2019 that had become #409 and #476.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Mark #371, Richard #481.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Mark held the stronger position in 60 of those years, Richard in 2.
Highest recorded here: Mark #7 in 1974, Richard #20 in 1986.
The order changed in 1966: Mark moved ahead. In 1965 they stood at #26 and #22; by 1966 that had become #21 and #27.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mark #99, Richard #232.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys46 shared years, 1952–1997
Mark held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Richard in 1.
Highest recorded here: Mark #2 in 1960, Richard #16 in 1960.
The order changed in 1953: Mark moved ahead. In 1952 they stood at #27 and #25; by 1953 that had become #13 and #28.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Mark #62, Richard #98.
New Zealand · Boys45 shared years, 1954–1998
Mark held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Richard in 13.
Highest recorded here: Mark #2 in 1974, Richard #9 in 1965.
The order changed in 1987: Richard moved ahead. In 1986 they stood at #15 and #18; by 1987 that had become #18 and #17.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Mark #83, Richard #78.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Mark held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mark #55 in 1996, Richard #62 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mark #277, Richard #398.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2022
Mark held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mark #12 in 1999, Richard #77 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Mark #207, Richard #311.
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 | Richard |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | 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 | Latin | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɑɹk/ | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.əɹd/ |
| 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 #232 (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 Richard is recorded with a Germanic origin.
- Mark has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Richard.
- Mark's recorded meaning differs from Richard'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
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