Ansgar vs Ivan
Ansgar and Ivancompared 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, Ansgar was ranked #450 and Ivan #235 among boys in Norway.
Ansgar and Ivan over time
Ansgar and Ivan appear together in 1 published list, across 21 years of shared records. Ivan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ansgar 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.
Ansgar reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ivan 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.
List by list
Norway · Boys21 shared years, 1945–2025
Ansgar held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Ivan in 16.
Highest recorded here: Ansgar #188 in 1945, Ivan #167 in 1971.
The order changed in 1951: Ivan moved ahead. In 1950 they stood at #301 and #308; by 1951 that had become #374 and #254.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ansgar #450, Ivan #235.
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 | Ansgar | Ivan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The Slavic form of John, commonly interpreted as 'God is gracious'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Old Church Slavic, via Greek Ioannes |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈaɪvən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #450 (2025) | Norway · Boys #235 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ivan has a recorded origin (Old Church Slavic, via Greek Ioannes); Ansgar does not have one recorded yet.
- Ansgar and Ivan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ivan; Ansgar doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Ansgar
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #188 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: #188 among boys in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #450 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Ivan
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #192 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1959
Highest recorded position: #83 among boys in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1959).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #235 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys