Arthur vs Gunnar
Arthur and Gunnarcompared 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, Arthur was ranked #4 and Gunnar #2443 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #83 and Gunnar #250 among boys in Norway.
Arthur and Gunnar over time
Arthur and Gunnar appear together in 2 published lists, across 91 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.
Gunnar reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Arthur 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Arthur and Gunnar were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 77 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #83 and #250.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Arthur #3 in 2020, Gunnar #1786 in 2018.
List by list
Norway · Boys77 shared years, 1945–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Gunnar in 55.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #74 in 2020, Gunnar #10 in 1946.
The order changed in 2004: Arthur moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #272 and #242; by 2004 that had become #239 and #440.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #83, Gunnar #250.
England and Wales · Boys14 shared years, 2009–2024
Arthur held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Gunnar in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #3 in 2020, Gunnar #1786 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Arthur #4, Gunnar #2443.
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 | Arthur | Gunnar |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑɹθər/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Art, Artie | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | Norway · Boys #250 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Arthur has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman); Gunnar does not have one recorded yet.
- Arthur and Gunnar both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Gunnar doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Gunnar a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Arthur
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #153 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Gunnar
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #13 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: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #250 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys