Brynjar vs Samuel
Brynjar and Samuelcompared 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 2024, Brynjar was ranked #442 and Samuel #53 among boys in Norway.
Brynjar and Samuel over time
Brynjar and Samuel appear together in 1 published list, across 69 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Brynjar 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.
Brynjar reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Samuel 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
Brynjar and Samuel changed places 11 times in Norway · Boys between 1946 and 2024, ending at #442 and #53.
- Mirrored each other
Over 69 shared years in Norway · Boys, Samuel rose about as far as Brynjar fell — from #232 and #339 in 1946 to #442 and #53 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Brynjar and Samuel were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 69 years, from 1946 to 2024, ending at #442 and #53.
List by list
Norway · Boys69 shared years, 1946–2024
Brynjar held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Samuel in 49.
Highest recorded here: Brynjar #232 in 1946, Samuel #44 in 2019.
The order changed in 1982: Samuel moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #325 and #358; by 1982 that had become #486 and #239.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Brynjar #442, Samuel #53.
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.
Where to go next
Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.
Other comparisons involving Samuel
Pairs where Samuel shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Samuel vs Graham
In 1964 they stood at #119 and #129 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 10 places apart; by 2023 they were #90 and #770.
Samuel · Graham · 54 shared years, 1964–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
- Samuel vs Garry
In 1964 they stood at #119 and #114 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 5 places apart; by 2009 they were #37 and #701.
Samuel · Garry · 45 shared years, 1964–2009 · Started together, ended far apart
- Samuel vs Roger
In 1964 they stood at #119 and #113 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2021 they were #75 and #631.
Samuel · Roger · 41 shared years, 1964–2021 · Started together, ended far apart
- Samuel vs Ross
In 1997 they stood at #39 and #30 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 9 places apart; by 2023 they were #79 and #395.
Samuel · Ross · 27 shared years, 1997–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
Side by side
| Field | Brynjar | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #442 (2024) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Samuel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel); Brynjar does not have one recorded yet.
- Brynjar and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Samuel; Brynjar doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Brynjar
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #279 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2024
Highest recorded position: #232 among boys in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–2024).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #442 among boys in Norway, in 2024.
Norway · Boys
Samuel
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #339 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1998 (recorded 1967–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys