Daniel vs Wilhelm
Daniel and Wilhelmcompared 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 2015, Daniel was ranked #24 and Wilhelm #4747 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #66 and Wilhelm #121 among boys in Norway.
Daniel and Wilhelm over time
Daniel and Wilhelm appear together in 1 published list, across 73 years of shared records. Daniel held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Wilhelm 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.
Daniel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Wilhelm 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 Wilhelm changed places 9 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #66 and #121.
- Longest-running competitions
Daniel and Wilhelm were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 73 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #66 and #121.
List by list
Norway · Boys73 shared years, 1945–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 66 of those years, Wilhelm in 7.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 1989, Wilhelm #121 in 2025.
The order changed in 1956: Daniel moved ahead. In 1955 they stood at #329 and #230; by 1956 that had become #259 and #384.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #66, Wilhelm #121.
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 | Wilhelm |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| 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 #121 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Daniel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Wilhelm does not have one recorded yet.
- Daniel and Wilhelm both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Daniel; Wilhelm 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
Wilhelm
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #237 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: #121 among boys in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #121 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys