Phillip vs Rafael
Phillip and Rafaelcompared 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 2025, Phillip was ranked #1226 and Rafael #189 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Phillip was ranked #268 and Rafael #328 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Phillip was ranked #785 and Rafael #327 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Phillip and Rafael over time
Phillip and Rafael appear together in 3 published lists, across 72 years of shared records. Rafael held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Phillip in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Phillip reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Rafael 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Phillip and Rafael changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1972 and 2025, ending at #268 and #328.
- Longest-running competitions
Phillip and Rafael were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1226 and #189.
List by list
Norway · Boys34 shared years, 1972–2025
Phillip held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Rafael in 5.
Highest recorded here: Phillip #116 in 2013, Rafael #222 in 2020.
The order changed in 2002: Phillip moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #487 and #418; by 2002 that had become #250 and #355.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Phillip #268, Rafael #328.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Phillip held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Rafael in 21.
Highest recorded here: Phillip #180 in 1996, Rafael #181 in 2022.
The order changed in 2005: Rafael moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #443 and #532; by 2005 that had become #506 and #412.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Phillip #1226, Rafael #189.
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 2005–2024
Phillip held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Rafael in 5.
Highest recorded here: Phillip #423 in 2006, Rafael #327 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Phillip #785, Rafael #327.
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 | Phillip | Rafael |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #268 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #189 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Phillip and Rafael both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Phillip
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #14 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1994
Highest recorded position: #14 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1994).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1226 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Rafael
Popularity journey
First recorded1963
First recorded at #445 among boys in Norway in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #181 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #189 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys