Cal vs Gustav
Cal and Gustavcompared 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 2023, Cal was ranked #4107 and Gustav #2325 among boys in England and Wales.
Cal and Gustav over time
Cal and Gustav appear together in 1 published list, across 23 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Cal reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Gustav 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
Cal and Gustav changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1997 and 2023, ending at #4107 and #2325.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys23 shared years, 1997–2023
Cal held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Gustav in 10.
Highest recorded here: Cal #1188 in 2003, Gustav #1786 in 2015.
The order changed in 2021: Gustav moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #3013 and #3937; by 2021 that had become #4789 and #2125.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Cal #4107, Gustav #2325.
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 | Cal | Gustav |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) | Norway · Boys #19 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cal has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Gustav.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
How each name got here
Cal
Popularity journey
First recorded1987
First recorded at #303 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #244 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Gustav
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #154 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: #19 among boys in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys