Daniel vs Kaj
Daniel and Kajcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 1994, Daniel was ranked #3 and Kaj #586 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Daniel was ranked #10 and Kaj #770 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2021, Daniel was ranked #54 and Kaj #4789 among boys in England and Wales.
Daniel and Kaj over time
Daniel and Kaj appear together in 2 published lists, across 54 years of shared records. Daniel held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kaj in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Kaj reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Daniel 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
Daniel and Kaj changed places 6 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 1994, ending at #3 and #586.
- Mirrored each other
Over 40 shared years in Norway · Boys, Daniel rose about as far as Kaj fell — from #280 and #320 in 1945 to #3 and #586 in 1994.
- Longest-running competitions
Daniel and Kaj were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 40 years, from 1945 to 1994, ending at #3 and #586.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Daniel #2 in 1996, Kaj #2357 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys40 shared years, 1945–1994
Daniel held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Kaj in 4.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 1989, Kaj #216 in 1959.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1994: Daniel #3, Kaj #586.
England and Wales · Boys14 shared years, 1996–2021
Daniel held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Kaj in 0.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1996, Kaj #2357 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Daniel #54, Kaj #4789.
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 | Daniel | Kaj |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'God is my judge', referencing the biblical prophet Daniel. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdænjəl/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #13 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #770 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Daniel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Kaj does not have one recorded yet.
- Daniel has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kaj.
- A meaning is recorded for Daniel; Kaj doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Daniel
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #280 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New Zealand, in 1980 (recorded 1954–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #64 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Kaj
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #320 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–1994
Highest recorded position: #216 among boys in Norway, in 1959 (recorded 1945–1994).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #4789 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021.
England and Wales · Boys