Otto vs Richard
Otto 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 2024, Otto was ranked #113 and Richard #398 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Otto was ranked #135 and Richard #481 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Otto was ranked #402 and Richard #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Otto was ranked #334 and Richard #304 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Otto was ranked #307 and Richard #619 among boys in Scotland.
Otto and Richard over time
Otto and Richard appear together in 2 published lists, across 105 years of shared records. Richard held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Otto 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Otto and Richard changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2023, ending at #135 and #481.
- Longest-running competitions
Otto and Richard were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 76 years, from 1945 to 2023, ending at #135 and #481.
List by list
Norway · Boys76 shared years, 1945–2023
Otto held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Richard in 45.
Highest recorded here: Otto #90 in 1947, Richard #80 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Otto #135, Richard #481.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Otto held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Richard in 20.
Highest recorded here: Otto #113 in 2024, Richard #62 in 1996.
The order changed in 2017: Otto moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #286 and #278; by 2017 that had become #264 and #307.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Otto #113, Richard #398.
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 | Otto | 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 | /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 #115 (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) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Richard has a recorded origin (Germanic); Otto does not have one recorded yet.
- Otto and Richard both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Richard; Otto 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
Otto
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #91 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: #90 among boys in Norway, in 1947 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #115 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