Espen vs Patrick
Espen and Patrickcompared 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, Espen was ranked #5119 and Patrick #120 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Espen was ranked #430 and Patrick #327 among boys in Norway.
Espen and Patrick over time
Espen and Patrick appear together in 2 published lists, across 86 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Espen and Patrick were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 70 years, from 1948 to 2025, ending at #430 and #327.
List by list
Norway · Boys70 shared years, 1948–2025
Espen held the stronger position in 48 of those years, Patrick in 22.
Highest recorded here: Espen #8 in 1982, Patrick #67 in 1989.
The order changed in 2024: Patrick moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #326 and #332; by 2024 that had become #395 and #276.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Espen #430, Patrick #327.
England and Wales · Boys16 shared years, 2002–2024
Espen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Patrick in 16.
Highest recorded here: Espen #2693 in 2018, Patrick #82 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Espen #5119, Patrick #120.
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 | Espen | Patrick |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Latin Patricius, meaning 'nobleman, patrician'. Adopted by Saint Patrick (originally named Sucat), a Romanized Briton who Christianized Ireland and became its patron saint. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈpæt.ɹɪk/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Pádraig, Pádraic |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #430 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Patrick has a recorded origin (Latin); Espen does not have one recorded yet.
- Espen and Patrick both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Patrick; Espen doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
- The available evidence gives Espen a "medium" Data Confidence level and Patrick a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Espen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #315 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: #8 among boys in Norway, in 1982 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #430 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Patrick
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #315 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys