Arthur vs Niels
Arthur and Nielscompared 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 2016, Arthur was ranked #30 and Niels #4023 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Arthur was ranked #83 and Niels #471 among boys in Norway.
Arthur and Niels over time
Arthur and Niels appear together in 2 published lists, across 70 years of shared records. Arthur held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Niels in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Niels 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Arthur and Niels changed places 14 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #83 and #471.
- Longest-running competitions
Arthur and Niels were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 61 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #83 and #471.
List by list
Norway · Boys61 shared years, 1945–2025
Arthur held the stronger position in 44 of those years, Niels in 17.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #81 in 2022, Niels #201 in 1959.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Arthur #83, Niels #471.
England and Wales · Boys9 shared years, 1998–2016
Arthur held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Niels in 0.
Highest recorded here: Arthur #30 in 2016, Niels #1642 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Arthur #30, Niels #4023.
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 | Niels |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| 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 #471 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| 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); Niels does not have one recorded yet.
- Arthur has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Niels.
- A meaning is recorded for Arthur; Niels 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 Niels 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
Niels
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #233 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: #201 among boys in Norway, in 1959 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #471 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys