Abdul vs William
Abdul and Williamcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Abdul was ranked #484 and William #3 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Abdul was ranked #152 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2004, Abdul was ranked #264 and William #35 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Abdul was ranked #307 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Abdul was ranked #402 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Abdul and William over time
Abdul and William appear together in 3 published lists, across 136 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Abdul 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.
Abdul reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and William 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
Abdul and William changed places 19 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #484 and #3.
- Mirrored each other
Over 81 shared years in Norway · Boys, William rose about as far as Abdul fell — from #238 and #277 in 1945 to #484 and #3 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Abdul and William were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #484 and #3.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Abdul held the stronger position in 18 of those years, William in 63.
Highest recorded here: Abdul #180 in 2000, William #1 in 2012.
The order changed in 1982: William moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #255 and #276; by 1982 that had become #519 and #240.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abdul #484, William #3.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Abdul held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 29.
Highest recorded here: Abdul #146 in 2003, William #7 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abdul #152, William #27.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1998–2025
Abdul held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 26.
Highest recorded here: Abdul #138 in 2003, William #43 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abdul #402, William #73.
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 | Abdul | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- William has a recorded origin (Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm)); Abdul does not have one recorded yet.
- Abdul and William both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for William; Abdul 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
Abdul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #238 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2025
Highest recorded position: #138 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 1998–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #484 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 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 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys