Dave vs Lars
Dave and Larscompared 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 2024, Dave was ranked #1951 and Lars #1859 among boys in England and Wales.
Dave and Lars over time
Dave and Lars appear together in 1 published list, across 28 years of shared records. Lars held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Dave 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.
Lars reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Dave 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
Dave and Lars changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #1951 and #1859.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Dave held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Lars in 21.
Highest recorded here: Dave #1188 in 2003, Lars #1110 in 1998.
The order changed in 2009: Lars moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #1596 and #2276; by 2009 that had become #3744 and #1425.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dave #1951, Lars #1859.
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 | Dave | Lars |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #582 (2024) | Norway · Boys #90 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dave has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Lars.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
How each name got here
Dave
Popularity journey
First recorded1982
First recorded at #330 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1982 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1982–2024
Highest recorded position: #303 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1987 (recorded 1982–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1951 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Lars
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #24 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: #2 among boys in Norway, in 1976 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #90 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys