Colin vs Paul
Colin and Paul compared 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 1975, Colin was ranked #99 and Paul #8 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1983, Colin was ranked #90 and Paul #20 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Colin was ranked #162 and Paul #370 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Colin was ranked #433 and Paul #200 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Colin was ranked #348 and Paul #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Colin was ranked #1538 and Paul #602 among boys in England and Wales.
Colin and Paul over time
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Colin and Paul over time
Colin and Paul appear together in 6 published lists, across 209 years of shared records. Paul held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Colin 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.
Paul 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 32 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Colin and Paul averaged 41.3 places apart, ending at #90 and #20.
- Longest-running competitions
Colin and Paul were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1538 and #602.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Colin #311 in 1997, Paul #72 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Colin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 62.
Highest recorded here: Colin #38 in 1985, Paul #3 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colin #348, Paul #286.
Norway · Boys43 shared years, 1946–2024
Colin held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Paul in 28.
Highest recorded here: Colin #128 in 2022, Paul #67 in 1946.
The order changed in 2011: Colin moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #313 and #277; by 2011 that had become #240 and #244.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Colin #162, Paul #370.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys32 shared years, 1952–1983
Colin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 32.
Highest recorded here: Colin #22 in 1952, Paul #4 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1983: Colin #90, Paul #20.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Colin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 30.
Highest recorded here: Colin #311 in 1997, Paul #72 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colin #1538, Paul #602.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 1954–1975
Colin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 21.
Highest recorded here: Colin #25 in 1955, Paul #3 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1975: Colin #99, Paul #8.
Northern Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 1997–2021
Colin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 21.
Highest recorded here: Colin #96 in 1997, Paul #27 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Colin #433, Paul #200.
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 | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the Roman name Paulus, meaning 'small' in Latin. Saint Paul, originally named Saul, converted to Christianity and became a key missionary figure, authoring several New Testament epistles. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈpɔːl/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, New Zealand | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, New Zealand |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #119 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Paul has a recorded origin (Latin); Colin does not have one recorded yet.
- Colin has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Paul.
- A meaning is recorded for Paul; Colin doesn't have one written yet.
- 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 #1538 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Paul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #73 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #602 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys