Goran vs Oliver
Goran and Olivercompared 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 2021, Goran was ranked #4789 and Oliver #2 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 1993, Goran was ranked #595 and Oliver #192 among boys in Norway.
Goran and Oliver over time
Goran and Oliver appear together in 2 published lists, across 36 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.
Goran reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Oliver 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
Goran and Oliver changed places 9 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 1993, ending at #595 and #192.
List by list
Norway · Boys25 shared years, 1966–1993
Goran held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Oliver in 11.
Highest recorded here: Goran #300 in 1970, Oliver #192 in 1993.
The order changed in 1990: Oliver moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #396 and #408; by 1990 that had become #491 and #231.
Most recent shared year, 1993: Goran #595, Oliver #192.
England and Wales · Boys11 shared years, 1999–2021
Goran held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Oliver in 11.
Highest recorded here: Goran #2189 in 2003, Oliver #1 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Goran #4789, Oliver #2.
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 | Goran | Oliver |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree', though the true root is debated. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Old French |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈɒlɪvər/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Ollie, Olivier, Oliviero |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #4789 (2021) | United Kingdom #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Oliver has a recorded origin (Old French); Goran does not have one recorded yet.
- Goran has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Oliver.
- A meaning is recorded for Oliver; Goran doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Goran
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #422 among boys in Norway in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1956–1993
Highest recorded position: #300 among boys in Norway, in 1970 (recorded 1956–1993).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #4789 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021.
England and Wales · Boys
Oliver
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #478 among boys in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2009 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys