Namewise

Edward vs Linus

Edward and Linuscompared 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, Edward was ranked #31 and Linus #3254 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Edward was ranked #189 and Linus #87 among boys in Norway.

Edward and Linus over time

Edward and Linus appear together in 2 published lists, across 61 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

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.

Linus reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Edward 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.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys32 shared years, 19872025

    Edward held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Linus in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Edward #168 in 2012, Linus #49 in 2007.

    The order changed in 2001: Linus moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #258 and #281; by 2001 that had become #336 and #274.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Edward #189, Linus #87.

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 19962024

    Edward held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Linus in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Edward #23 in 2016, Linus #1000 in 1998.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Edward #31, Linus #3254.

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 Edward, Linus
FieldEdwardLinus
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Pronunciation
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZGB-ENW, NO
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Boys #75 (2025)Norway · Boys #87 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/10060/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Edward and Linus both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.

How each name got here

Edward

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1950

    First recorded at #324 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #75 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

Linus

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1987

    First recorded at #580 among boys in Norway in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1987–2025

    Highest recorded position: #49 among boys in Norway, in 2007 (recorded 1987–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #87 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys