Anders vs Magnus
Anders and Magnuscompared 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, Anders was ranked #293 and Magnus #17 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Anders was ranked #2263 and Magnus #358 among boys in England and Wales.
Anders and Magnus over time
Anders and Magnus appear together in 2 published lists, across 107 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Anders reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Magnus 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 1996, Magnus moved ahead of Anders in Norway · Boys — #11 and #12 the year before became #17 and #6.
- Longest-running competitions
Anders and Magnus were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #293 and #17.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Anders held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Magnus in 30.
Highest recorded here: Anders #3 in 1981, Magnus #3 in 2013.
The order changed in 1996: Magnus moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #11 and #12; by 1996 that had become #17 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anders #293, Magnus #17.
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1996–2024
Anders held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Magnus in 26.
Highest recorded here: Anders #1519 in 2002, Magnus #335 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anders #2263, Magnus #358.
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 | Anders | Magnus |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Directly 'great' or 'mighty' in Latin. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmæɡnəs/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Mags |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #293 (2025) | Norway #12 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Magnus has a recorded origin (Latin); Anders does not have one recorded yet.
- Anders and Magnus both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Magnus; Anders doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
- The available evidence gives Anders a "medium" Data Confidence level and Magnus a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Anders
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #55 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Norway, in 1981 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #293 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Magnus
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #125 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Norway, in 2013 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #12 in Norway, in 2025.
Norway