Daniel vs Niels
Daniel and Nielscompared 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 2016, Daniel was ranked #28 and Niels #4023 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #66 and Niels #471 among boys in Norway.
Daniel and Niels over time
Daniel and Niels appear together in 2 published lists, across 73 years of shared records. Daniel held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Niels 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.
Niels 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 Niels changed places 9 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #66 and #471.
- Mirrored each other
Over 64 shared years in Norway · Boys, Daniel rose about as far as Niels fell — from #280 and #233 in 1945 to #66 and #471 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Daniel and Niels were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 64 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #66 and #471.
List by list
Norway · Boys64 shared years, 1945–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Niels in 13.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 1989, Niels #201 in 1959.
The order changed in 1964: Daniel moved ahead. In 1963 they stood at #264 and #232; by 1964 that had become #230 and #271.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #66, Niels #471.
England and Wales · Boys9 shared years, 1998–2016
Daniel held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Niels in 0.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #4 in 1998, Niels #1642 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Daniel #28, Niels #4023.
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 | Niels |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #13 (2025) | Norway · Boys #471 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Daniel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Niels does not have one recorded yet.
- Daniel has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Niels.
- A meaning is recorded for Daniel; Niels doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Niels
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #233 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: #201 among boys in Norway, in 1959 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #471 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys