David vs Magnus
David and Magnuscompared 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, David was ranked #88 and Magnus #17 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2019, David was ranked #41 and Magnus #764 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, David was ranked #71 and Magnus #130 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, David was ranked #73 and Magnus #432 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, David was ranked #83 and Magnus #312 among boys in Northern Ireland.
David and Magnus over time
David and Magnus appear together in 2 published lists, across 111 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Magnus 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
David and Magnus changed places 6 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #88 and #17.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 81 shared years in Norway · Boys, David and Magnus averaged 44.0 places apart, ending at #88 and #17.
- Longest-running competitions
David and Magnus were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #73 and #432.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
David held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Magnus in 56.
Highest recorded here: David #31 in 2005, Magnus #3 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #88, Magnus #17.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
David held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Magnus in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Magnus #335 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: David #73, Magnus #432.
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 | David | Magnus |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | Directly 'great' or 'mighty' in Latin. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | /ˈmæɡnəs/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Mags |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) | Norway #12 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- David is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Magnus is recorded with a Latin origin.
- David and Magnus both have 2 syllables.
- David's recorded meaning differs from Magnus's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives David a "medium" Data Confidence level and Magnus a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #73 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Magnus
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #125 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: #3 among boys in Norway, in 2013 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #432 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys