Grey vs Nils
Grey 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Grey was ranked #2443 and Nils #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Grey and Nils over time
Grey and Nils appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. Grey held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Nils 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.
Nils reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Grey 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
England and Wales · Boys8 shared years, 2014–2024
Grey held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Nils in 2.
Highest recorded here: Grey #1113 in 2019, Nils #2248 in 2014.
The order changed in 2016: Grey moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #3908 and #2319; by 2016 that had become #2027 and #4810.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grey #2443, Nils #4270.
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 | Grey | Nils |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #2443 (2024) | Norway · Boys #61 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Grey and Nils both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
How each name got here
Grey
Popularity journey
First recorded2013
First recorded at #3822 among boys in England and Wales in 2013 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2013–2024
Highest recorded position: #1113 among boys in England and Wales, in 2019 (recorded 2013–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2443 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Nils
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in Norway, in 1947 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #61 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys