Arthur vs Jan-Erik
Arthur and Jan-Erikcompared 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 1998, Arthur was ranked #282 and Jan-Erik #467 among boys in Norway.
Arthur and Jan-Erik over time
Arthur and Jan-Erik appear together in 1 published list, across 50 years of shared records. Jan-Erik held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Arthur in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Arthur reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Jan-Erik 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
Arthur and Jan-Erik changed places 12 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 1998, ending at #282 and #467.
- Longest-running competitions
Arthur and Jan-Erik were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 50 years, from 1945 to 1998, ending at #282 and #467.
List by list
Norway · Boys50 shared years, 1945–1998
Arthur held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Jan-Erik in 37.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #122 in 1946, Jan-Erik #133 in 1951.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Arthur #282, Jan-Erik #467.
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 | Jan-Erik |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Art, Artie | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #5 (2025) | Norway · Boys #467 (1998) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Arthur has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Celtic (Brittonic), possibly Roman); Jan-Erik does not have one recorded yet.
- Arthur has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Jan-Erik.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Jan-Erik doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
- The available evidence gives Arthur a "high" Data Confidence level and Jan-Erik 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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in England and Wales, in 2020 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Jan-Erik
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #156 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–1998
Highest recorded position: #133 among boys in Norway, in 1951 (recorded 1945–1998).
Norway · Boys
Most recent1998
Most recently recorded at #467 among boys in Norway, in 1998.
Norway · Boys