Colin vs Frank
Colin and Frankcompared 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1955, Colin was ranked #25 and Frank #100 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1967, Colin was ranked #48 and Frank #86 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Colin was ranked #119 and Frank #459 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Colin was ranked #1000 and Frank #194 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Colin was ranked #433 and Frank #266 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Colin was ranked #348 and Frank #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Colin and Frank over time
Colin and Frank appear together in 5 published lists, across 163 years of shared records. Colin held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Frank in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Frank reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Colin in 2. 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2021, Frank moved ahead of Colin in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #226 and #261 the year before became #414 and #182.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Colin and Frank changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 2003 and 2021, ending at #433 and #266.
- Longest-running competitions
Colin and Frank were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 43 years, from 1946 to 2025, ending at #119 and #459.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Colin #189 in 2007, Frank #223 in 2006.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Colin held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Frank in 9.
Highest recorded here: Colin #38 in 1985, Frank #139 in 1966.
The order changed in 2021: Frank moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #226 and #261; by 2021 that had become #414 and #182.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colin #348, Frank #286.
Norway · Boys43 shared years, 1946–2025
Colin held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Frank in 21.
Highest recorded here: Colin #119 in 2025, Frank #24 in 1966.
The order changed in 2003: Colin moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #514 and #308; by 2003 that had become #324 and #370.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colin #119, Frank #459.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Colin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Frank in 29.
Highest recorded here: Colin #311 in 1997, Frank #155 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Colin #1000, Frank #194.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys16 shared years, 1952–1967
Colin held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Frank in 0.
Highest recorded here: Colin #22 in 1952, Frank #74 in 1959.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1967: Colin #48, Frank #86.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2003–2021
Colin held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Frank in 7.
Highest recorded here: Colin #189 in 2007, Frank #223 in 2006.
The order changed in 2013: Frank moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #273 and #311; by 2013 that had become #398 and #271.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Colin #433, Frank #266.
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 | Colin | Frank |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #119 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Colin has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Frank.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Colin
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #326 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1983
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1983).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #119 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Frank
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #61 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: #22 among boys in Norway, in 1968 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #459 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys