Namewise

Finn vs Nils

Finn and Nilscompared 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, Finn was ranked #153 and Nils #61 among boys in Norway.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Finn was ranked #74 and Nils #4275 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 1992, Finn was ranked #238 and Nils #337 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Finn and Nils over time

Finn and Nils appear together in 2 published lists, across 106 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

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.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 25 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Finn rose about as far as Nils fell — from #261 and #2020 in 1996 to #74 and #4275 in 2025.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Finn and Nils were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #153 and #61.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Finn #31 in 1945, Nils #21 in 1947.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025

    Finn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Nils in 81.

    Highest recorded here: Finn #31 in 1945, Nils #21 in 1947.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #153, Nils #61.

  • England and Wales · Boys25 shared years, 1996–2025

    Finn held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Nils in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Finn #72 in 2021, Nils #1746 in 2001.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Finn #74, Nils #4275.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Finn

Pairs where Finn shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Nils

Pairs where Nils shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — longest-running competitions.

All longest-running competitions→

Other pairs from Norway lists

Pairs measured inside Norway's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Norway overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Finn, Nils
FieldFinnNils
Record typeEditorially researched profileOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningTraditionally associated with the Irish hero Fionn mac Cumhaill; functions as the usual Anglicised spelling of the Irish name Fionn.Not yet recorded
OriginIrishNot yet recorded
Pronunciation/fɪn/
Syllables11
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZGB-ENW, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #15 (2025)Norway · Boys #61 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/100Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Finn has a recorded origin (Irish); Nils does not have one recorded yet.
  • Finn and Nils both have 1 syllable.
  • A meaning is recorded for Finn; Nils doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.

How each name got here

Finn

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #31 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1982–2025

    Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 1982–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #74 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Nils

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #26 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in Norway, in 1947 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #4275 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys