Daniel vs William
Daniel and Williamcompared 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 2025, Daniel was ranked #66 and William #3 among boys in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #64 and William #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Daniel was ranked #13 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Daniel was ranked #53 and William #14 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #59 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #37 and William #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Daniel was ranked #52 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
Daniel and William over time
Daniel and William appear together in 6 published lists, across 343 years of shared records. Daniel held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, William in 2.
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.
Daniel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, William 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2009, William moved ahead of Daniel in England and Wales · Boys — #8 and #10 the year before became #10 and #8.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Daniel and William changed places 8 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #66 and #3.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Daniel and William averaged 13.2 places apart, ending at #59 and #27.
- Longest-running competitions
Daniel and William were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 74 years, from 1952 to 2025, ending at #64 and #11.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 51 of those years, William in 30.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 1989, William #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #66, William #3.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys74 shared years, 1952–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 34 of those years, William in 40.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1979, William #1 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #64, William #11.
New Zealand · Boys69 shared years, 1954–2023
Daniel held the stronger position in 36 of those years, William in 33.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #1 in 1980, William #3 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Daniel #53, William #14.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Daniel held the stronger position in 42 of those years, William in 19.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #3 in 2009, William #8 in 1964.
The order changed in 1984: Daniel moved ahead. In 1983 they stood at #16 and #16; by 1984 that had become #16 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Daniel #13, William #73.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 12 of those years, William in 17.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 1996, William #7 in 2006.
The order changed in 2009: William moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #8 and #10; by 2009 that had become #10 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #59, William #27.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Daniel held the stronger position in 28 of those years, William in 0.
Highest recorded here: Daniel #2 in 2010, William #26 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Daniel #37, William #64.
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 | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'God is my judge', referencing the biblical prophet Daniel. | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdænjəl/ | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #13 (2025) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Daniel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
- Daniel and William both have 2 syllables.
- Daniel's recorded meaning differs from William's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys