Colin vs Steffan
Colin and Steffancompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1996, Colin was ranked #75 and Steffan #369 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 1996, Colin was ranked #466 and Steffan #453 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Colin was ranked #1000 and Steffan #1517 among boys in England and Wales.
Colin and Steffan over time
Colin and Steffan appear together in 2 published lists, across 37 years of shared records. Steffan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Colin in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Steffan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Colin 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
Colin and Steffan changed places 11 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1000 and #1517.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Colin #311 in 1997, Steffan #303 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Colin held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Steffan in 13.
Highest recorded here: Colin #311 in 1997, Steffan #303 in 1996.
The order changed in 2024: Colin moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #1610 and #1461; by 2024 that had become #1000 and #1517.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Colin #1000, Steffan #1517.
Norway · Boys8 shared years, 1974–1996
Colin held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Steffan in 6.
Highest recorded here: Colin #466 in 1996, Steffan #309 in 1983.
The order changed in 1979: Steffan moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #585 and #622; by 1979 that had become #609 and #396.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Colin #466, Steffan #453.
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 | Steffan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #119 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1517 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Colin and Steffan both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
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
Steffan
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #525 among boys in Norway in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1973–1996
Highest recorded position: #275 among boys in Norway, in 1984 (recorded 1973–1996).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1517 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys