Patrick vs Zachary
Patrick and Zacharycompared 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, Patrick was ranked #25 and Zachary #211 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Patrick was ranked #26 and Zachary #125 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2023, Patrick was ranked #61 and Zachary #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Patrick was ranked #120 and Zachary #69 among boys in England and Wales.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2020, Patrick was ranked #93 and Zachary #96 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Patrick was ranked #125 and Zachary #125 among boys in Scotland.
Patrick and Zachary over time
Patrick and Zachary appear together in 5 published lists, across 164 years of shared records. Zachary held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Patrick in 2.
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.
Patrick reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Zachary 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2006, Zachary moved ahead of Patrick in England and Wales · Boys — #92 and #95 the year before became #105 and #93.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Patrick and Zachary changed places 10 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1988 and 2023, ending at #61 and #86.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Patrick and Zachary averaged 49.8 places apart, ending at #120 and #69.
- Longest-running competitions
Patrick and Zachary were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 36 years, from 1988 to 2023, ending at #61 and #86.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1976–2025
Patrick held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Zachary in 0.
Highest recorded here: Patrick #4 in 1976, Zachary #156 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Patrick #25, Zachary #211.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys36 shared years, 1988–2023
Patrick held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Zachary in 22.
Highest recorded here: Patrick #30 in 1994, Zachary #29 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Patrick #61, Zachary #86.
New Zealand · Boys30 shared years, 1988–2020
Patrick held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Zachary in 18.
Highest recorded here: Patrick #47 in 1991, Zachary #45 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Patrick #93, Zachary #96.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Patrick held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Zachary in 19.
Highest recorded here: Patrick #66 in 1996, Zachary #39 in 2013.
The order changed in 2006: Zachary moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #92 and #95; by 2006 that had become #105 and #93.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Patrick #120, Zachary #69.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Patrick held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Zachary in 0.
Highest recorded here: Patrick #18 in 2003, Zachary #87 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Patrick #26, Zachary #125.
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 | Patrick | Zachary |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Latin Patricius, meaning 'nobleman, patrician'. Adopted by Saint Patrick (originally named Sucat), a Romanized Briton who Christianized Ireland and became its patron saint. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈpæt.ɹɪk/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Pádraig, Pádraic | 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #211 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Patrick has a recorded origin (Latin); Zachary does not have one recorded yet.
- Patrick has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Zachary.
- A meaning is recorded for Patrick; Zachary doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Patrick a "high" Data Confidence level and Zachary a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Patrick
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #315 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Zachary
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #288 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1988–2023
Highest recorded position: #29 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1998 (recorded 1988–2023).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #211 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys