Ernst vs William
Ernst and Williamcompared 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 1996, Ernst was ranked #471 and William #71 among boys in Norway.
Ernst and William over time
Ernst and William appear together in 1 published list, across 49 years of shared records. Ernst held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, William 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.
Ernst reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and William 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Ernst and William were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 49 years, from 1945 to 1996, ending at #471 and #71.
List by list
Norway · Boys49 shared years, 1945–1996
Ernst held the stronger position in 31 of those years, William in 18.
Highest recorded here: Ernst #111 in 1953, William #71 in 1996.
The order changed in 1980: William moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #355 and #372; by 1980 that had become #532 and #233.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Ernst #471, William #71.
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 | Ernst | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 #471 (1996) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- William has a recorded origin (Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm)); Ernst does not have one recorded yet.
- Ernst has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for William.
- A meaning is recorded for William; Ernst doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Ernst
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #120 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–1996
Highest recorded position: #111 among boys in Norway, in 1953 (recorded 1945–1996).
Norway · Boys
Most recent1996
Most recently recorded at #471 among boys in Norway, in 1996.
Norway · Boys
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys