Namewise

Charles vs Rudolf

Charles and Rudolfcompared 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, Charles was ranked #121 and Rudolf #3523 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 1977, Charles was ranked #530 and Rudolf #562 among boys in Norway.

Charles and Rudolf over time

Charles and Rudolf appear together in 2 published lists, across 39 years of shared records. Charles held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Rudolf 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.

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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 1949, Charles moved ahead of Rudolf in Norway · Boys — #306 and #226 the year before became #177 and #337.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys25 shared years, 19451977

    Charles held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Rudolf in 2.

    Highest recorded here: Charles #177 in 1949, Rudolf #220 in 1945.

    The order changed in 1949: Charles moved ahead. In 1948 they stood at #306 and #226; by 1949 that had become #177 and #337.

    Most recent shared year, 1977: Charles #530, Rudolf #562.

  • England and Wales · Boys14 shared years, 20042023

    Charles held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Rudolf in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Charles #49 in 2004, Rudolf #3011 in 2018.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Charles #121, Rudolf #3523.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Charles, Rudolf
FieldCharlesRudolf
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZGB-ENW, NO
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Boys #94 (2025)England and Wales · Boys #3523 (2023)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/10060/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Charles and Rudolf both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.

How each name got here

Charles

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #224 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1996–2024

    Highest recorded position: #41 among boys in England and Wales, in 1998 (recorded 1996–2024).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #94 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

Rudolf

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #220 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1945–1977

    Highest recorded position: #220 among boys in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–1977).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2023

    Most recently recorded at #3523 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.

    England and Wales · Boys