Benjamin vs Mikael
Benjamin and Mikaelcompared 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, Benjamin was ranked #48 and Mikael #157 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #61 and Mikael #524 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Benjamin was ranked #71 and Mikael #584 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Benjamin and Mikael over time
Benjamin and Mikael appear together in 2 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Benjamin held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mikael in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Benjamin and Mikael changed places 10 times in Norway · Boys between 1950 and 2025, ending at #48 and #157.
- Longest-running competitions
Benjamin and Mikael were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 60 years, from 1950 to 2025, ending at #48 and #157.
List by list
Norway · Boys60 shared years, 1950–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 48 of those years, Mikael in 12.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #13 in 2016, Mikael #78 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #48, Mikael #157.
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Mikael in 0.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #6 in 2002, Mikael #444 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #61, Mikael #524.
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 | Benjamin | Mikael |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'son of the right hand', with the underlying literal sense being 'son of the south' (since 'right' indicated the southerly direction in the biblical east-facing orientation convention). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛndʒəmɪn/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025) | Norway · Boys #157 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Benjamin has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Mikael does not have one recorded yet.
- Benjamin has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Mikael.
- A meaning is recorded for Benjamin; Mikael doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Benjamin
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1970–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #46 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Mikael
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #365 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1950–2025
Highest recorded position: #78 among boys in Norway, in 1990 (recorded 1950–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #157 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys