Edwin vs Tobias
Edwin and Tobiascompared 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, Edwin was ranked #166 and Tobias #15 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Edwin was ranked #434 and Tobias #108 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Edwin was ranked #398 and Tobias #191 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Edwin was ranked #785 and Tobias #520 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Edwin and Tobias over time
Edwin and Tobias appear together in 3 published lists, across 93 years of shared records. Tobias held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Edwin in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Tobias reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Edwin in 1. 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
Edwin and Tobias changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1965 and 2024, ending at #785 and #520.
- Longest-running competitions
Edwin and Tobias were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 41 years, from 1971 to 2025, ending at #166 and #15.
List by list
Norway · Boys41 shared years, 1971–2025
Edwin held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Tobias in 40.
Highest recorded here: Edwin #135 in 2022, Tobias #1 in 2005.
The order changed in 1973: Tobias moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #441 and #535; by 1973 that had become #586 and #292.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Edwin #166, Tobias #15.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Edwin held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Tobias in 29.
Highest recorded here: Edwin #386 in 1997, Tobias #98 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Edwin #434, Tobias #108.
Republic of Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 1965–2024
Edwin held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Tobias in 12.
Highest recorded here: Edwin #192 in 1986, Tobias #222 in 1965.
The order changed in 2010: Tobias moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #337 and #532; by 2010 that had become #448 and #448.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Edwin #785, Tobias #520.
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 | Edwin | Tobias |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally understood to mean 'God is good' or 'the Lord is good', from a Hebrew phrase. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, via Greek; used in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and German tradition |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /tʊ.ˈbiː.as/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #166 (2025) | Norway · Boys #15 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Tobias has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Greek; used in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and German tradition); Edwin does not have one recorded yet.
- Edwin and Tobias both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Tobias; Edwin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Edwin
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #420 among boys in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1959–2025
Highest recorded position: #135 among boys in Norway, in 2022 (recorded 1959–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #166 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Tobias
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Norway, in 2005 (recorded 1967–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys