Michael vs Richard
Michael 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, Michael was ranked #13 and Richard #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1999, Michael was ranked #16 and Richard #81 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Michael was ranked #22 and Richard #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Michael was ranked #35 and Richard #311 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Michael was ranked #66 and Richard #619 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Michael was ranked #85 and Richard #398 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Michael was ranked #205 and Richard #481 among boys in Norway.
Michael and Richard over time
Michael and Richard appear together in 6 published lists, across 287 years of shared records. Michael held the stronger position in more years in 6 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 3 of those lists, Michael 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1980, Michael moved ahead of Richard in Norway · Boys — #105 and #80 the year before became #88 and #106.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Michael and Richard changed places 7 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2023, ending at #205 and #481.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 46 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Michael and Richard averaged 34.3 places apart, ending at #13 and #98.
- Longest-running competitions
Michael and Richard were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 46 years, from 1952 to 1997, ending at #13 and #98.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Michael #22 in 1996, Richard #62 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys79 shared years, 1945–2023
Michael held the stronger position in 65 of those years, Richard in 14.
Highest recorded here: Michael #48 in 1990, Richard #80 in 1979.
The order changed in 1980: Michael moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #105 and #80; by 1980 that had become #88 and #106.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Michael #205, Richard #481.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Michael held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: Michael #2 in 1966, Richard #20 in 1986.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Michael #22, Richard #232.
New Zealand · Boys47 shared years, 1954–1999
Michael held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Richard in 1.
Highest recorded here: Michael #1 in 1968, Richard #9 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1999: Michael #16, Richard #81.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys46 shared years, 1952–1997
Michael held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: Michael #1 in 1974, Richard #16 in 1960.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1997: Michael #13, Richard #98.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Michael held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: Michael #22 in 1996, Richard #62 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Michael #85, Richard #398.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2022
Michael held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Richard in 0.
Highest recorded here: Michael #7 in 1997, Richard #77 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Michael #35, 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 | Michael | Richard |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as a rhetorical question, 'Who is like God?', implying no one compares to God. | 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 | Biblical Hebrew | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmaɪkəl/ | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.əɹd/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 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 #22 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Michael is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Richard is recorded with a Germanic origin.
- Michael and Richard both have 2 syllables.
- Michael'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
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
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