Ben vs Widar
Ben and Widarcompared 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 1974, Ben was ranked #450 and Widar #640 among boys in Norway.
Ben and Widar over time
Ben and Widar appear together in 1 published list, across 15 years of shared records. Ben held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Widar 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.
Widar reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ben 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 · Boys15 shared years, 1952–1974
Ben held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Widar in 5.
Highest recorded here: Ben #233 in 1965, Widar #212 in 1956.
The order changed in 1969: Ben moved ahead. In 1968 they stood at #488 and #374; by 1969 that had become #293 and #545.
Most recent shared year, 1974: Ben #450, Widar #640.
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 | Ben | Widar |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A short form of Benjamin, Benedict and other names beginning with 'Ben'; in Dutch, can also be short for Bernhard. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Hebrew/Germanic, short form | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛn/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #40 (2025) | Norway · Boys #640 (1974) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ben has a recorded origin (Hebrew/Germanic, short form); Widar does not have one recorded yet.
- Ben has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Widar.
- A meaning is recorded for Ben; Widar doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Ben
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #376 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #40 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Widar
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #377 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1947–1974
Highest recorded position: #212 among boys in Norway, in 1956 (recorded 1947–1974).
Norway · Boys
Most recent1974
Most recently recorded at #640 among boys in Norway, in 1974.
Norway · Boys