Dragan vs Nicholas
Dragan and Nicholascompared 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 2002, Dragan was ranked #3225 and Nicholas #87 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 1988, Dragan was ranked #624 and Nicholas #282 among boys in Norway.
Dragan and Nicholas over time
Dragan and Nicholas appear together in 1 published list, across 21 years of shared records. Nicholas held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Dragan 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.
Dragan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Nicholas 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
Dragan and Nicholas changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1955 and 1988, ending at #624 and #282.
List by list
Norway · Boys21 shared years, 1955–1988
Dragan held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Nicholas in 12.
Highest recorded here: Dragan #370 in 1975, Nicholas #257 in 1987.
The order changed in 1981: Nicholas moved ahead. In 1980 they stood at #459 and #591; by 1981 that had become #585 and #382.
Most recent shared year, 1988: Dragan #624, Nicholas #282.
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 | Dragan | Nicholas |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Greek Nikolaos, combining 'nike' (victory) and 'laos' (people) — 'victory of the people'. Associated with Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop and the inspiration for Santa Claus. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈnɪk.ə.ləs/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3225 (2002) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #198 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Nicholas has a recorded origin (Greek); Dragan does not have one recorded yet.
- Dragan has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Nicholas.
- A meaning is recorded for Nicholas; Dragan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Dragan
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #414 among boys in Norway in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1955–1988
Highest recorded position: #370 among boys in Norway, in 1975 (recorded 1955–1988).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2002
Most recently recorded at #3225 among boys in England and Wales, in 2002.
England and Wales · Boys
Nicholas
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #384 among boys in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1955–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2002 (recorded 1955–2024).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #325 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys