Erna vs Josefine
Erna and Josefinecompared 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 · Girls
In 2002, Erna was ranked #612 and Josefine #111 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 1999, Erna was ranked #3900 and Josefine #3225 among girls in England and Wales.
Erna and Josefine over time
Erna and Josefine appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. Josefine held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Erna 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.
Erna reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Josefine 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.
List by list
Norway · Girls8 shared years, 1975–2002
Erna held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Josefine in 6.
Highest recorded here: Erna #439 in 1983, Josefine #111 in 2002.
The order changed in 1990: Josefine moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #603 and #613; by 1990 that had become #598 and #250.
Most recent shared year, 2002: Erna #612, Josefine #111.
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 | Erna | Josefine |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | ||
| Syllables | 2 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #612 (2002) | Norway · Girls #24 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Erna has 2 syllables, compared with 4 for Josefine.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Erna
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #78 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2002
Highest recorded position: #74 among girls in Norway, in 1948 (recorded 1945–2002).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2002
Most recently recorded at #612 among girls in Norway, in 2002.
Norway · Girls
Josefine
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #606 among girls in Norway in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1975–2025
Highest recorded position: #24 among girls in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1975–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #24 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls