Anders vs Nils
Anders and Nilscompared 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 Nils #61 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Anders was ranked #2263 and Nils #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Anders and Nils over time
Anders and Nils appear together in 2 published lists, across 102 years of shared records. Anders held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Nils in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Nils reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Anders 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
Anders and Nils changed places 10 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #2263 and #4270.
- Longest-running competitions
Anders and Nils were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #293 and #61.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Anders held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Nils in 38.
Highest recorded here: Anders #3 in 1981, Nils #21 in 1947.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anders #293, Nils #61.
England and Wales · Boys21 shared years, 1996–2024
Anders held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Nils in 6.
Highest recorded here: Anders #1519 in 2002, Nils #1761 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Anders #2263, Nils #4270.
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 | Nils |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #293 (2025) | Norway · Boys #61 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Anders has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Nils.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
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
Nils
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #26 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: #21 among boys in Norway, in 1947 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #61 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys