Ray vs Teddy
Ray and Teddycompared 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, Ray was ranked #613 and Teddy #29 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Ray was ranked #395 and Teddy #50 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Ray was ranked #676 and Teddy #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ray was ranked #404 and Teddy #76 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ray was ranked #2000 and Teddy #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Ray and Teddy over time
Ray and Teddy appear together in 3 published lists, across 51 years of shared records. Teddy held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ray 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.
Teddy reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Ray 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Ray #430 in 2024, Teddy #65 in 2023.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ray held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Teddy in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ray #429 in 2019, Teddy #20 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ray #613, Teddy #29.
Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2009–2025
Ray held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Teddy in 13.
Highest recorded here: Ray #430 in 2024, Teddy #65 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ray #676, Teddy #69.
England and Wales · Girls8 shared years, 2016–2024
Ray held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Teddy in 7.
Highest recorded here: Ray #2000 in 2024, Teddy #1854 in 2019.
The order changed in 2024: Ray moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #2927 and #2689; by 2024 that had become #2000 and #5891.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ray #2000, Teddy #5891.
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 | Ray | Teddy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A diminutive form, not carrying independent meaning of its own — confirmed as a diminutive of both Edward ('rich guard') and Theodore ('gift of god'), two etymologically unrelated full names, so the meaning depends entirely on which name a given bearer is short for. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English, diminutive form |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈtɛdi/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #69 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Teddy has a recorded origin (English, diminutive form); Ray does not have one recorded yet.
- Ray has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Teddy.
- A meaning is recorded for Teddy; Ray doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Ray
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #265 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #251 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1967–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Teddy
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #3795 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys