Elling vs Richard
Elling and Richardcompared 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 2023, Elling was ranked #360 and Richard #481 among boys in Norway.
Elling and Richard over time
Elling and Richard appear together in 1 published list, across 58 years of shared records. Richard held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Elling 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.
Elling reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Richard 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
Elling and Richard changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2023, ending at #360 and #481.
- Longest-running competitions
Elling and Richard were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 58 years, from 1945 to 2023, ending at #360 and #481.
List by list
Norway · Boys58 shared years, 1945–2023
Elling held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Richard in 53.
Highest recorded here: Elling #222 in 1955, Richard #82 in 1973.
The order changed in 2022: Elling moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #428 and #382; by 2022 that had become #246 and #452.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Elling #360, Richard #481.
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 | Elling | Richard |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Old German elements 'rih' (ruler, king) and 'hart' (hard, firm, brave, hardy) — 'brave ruler'. Introduced to England by the Normans in the 11th century. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.əɹd/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #261 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Richard has a recorded origin (Germanic); Elling does not have one recorded yet.
- Elling and Richard both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Richard; Elling doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Elling
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #247 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: #222 among boys in Norway, in 1955 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #261 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Richard
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #219 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1999
Highest recorded position: #9 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1999).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys