Namewise

Denas vs Nils

Denas and Nilscompared 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 2021, Denas was ranked #1782 and Nils #3990 among boys in England and Wales.

Denas and Nils over time

Denas and Nils appear together in 1 published list, across 13 years of shared records. Denas held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Nils 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.

Nils reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Denas 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

    Denas and Nils changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 2005 and 2021, ending at #1782 and #3990.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Denas #1600 in 2011, Nils #1859 in 2009.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Boys13 shared years, 20052021

    Denas held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Nils in 4.

    Highest recorded here: Denas #1600 in 2011, Nils #1859 in 2009.

    The order changed in 2019: Denas moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #3959 and #3959; by 2019 that had become #2728 and #3411.

    Most recent shared year, 2021: Denas #1782, Nils #3990.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Denas, Nils
FieldDenasNils
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recorded
Syllables21
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, IEGB-ENW, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Boys #3523 (2023)Norway · Boys #61 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)60/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Denas has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Nils.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.

How each name got here

Denas

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded2005

    First recorded at #3849 among boys in England and Wales in 2005 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    England and Wales · Boys

  2. Highest recorded2008–2022

    Highest recorded position: #479 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2013 (recorded 2008–2022).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2023

    Most recently recorded at #3523 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.

    England and Wales · Boys

Nils

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #26 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in Norway, in 1947 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #61 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys