Abdullah vs Rafael
Abdullah 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 2024, Abdullah was ranked #147 and Rafael #215 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Abdullah was ranked #246 and Rafael #619 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Abdullah was ranked #272 and Rafael #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Abdullah was ranked #308 and Rafael #328 among boys in Norway.
Abdullah and Rafael over time
Abdullah and Rafael appear together in 3 published lists, across 98 years of shared records. Abdullah held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Rafael 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.
Abdullah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Rafael 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Abdullah and Rafael changed places 13 times in Norway · Boys between 1963 and 2025, ending at #308 and #328.
- Longest-running competitions
Abdullah and Rafael were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 48 years, from 1963 to 2025, ending at #308 and #328.
List by list
Norway · Boys48 shared years, 1963–2025
Abdullah held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Rafael in 12.
Highest recorded here: Abdullah #186 in 1999, Rafael #222 in 2020.
The order changed in 2025: Abdullah moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #435 and #277; by 2025 that had become #308 and #328.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abdullah #308, Rafael #328.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Abdullah held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Rafael in 1.
Highest recorded here: Abdullah #146 in 2015, Rafael #181 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abdullah #147, Rafael #215.
Republic of Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 2005–2025
Abdullah held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Rafael in 10.
Highest recorded here: Abdullah #272 in 2025, Rafael #306 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abdullah #272, Rafael #329.
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 | Abdullah | 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 | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #272 (2025) | Norway · Boys #328 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Abdullah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Rafael.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Abdullah
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #403 among boys in Norway in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #146 among boys in England and Wales, in 2015 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #308 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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 recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #181 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #328 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys