Gunnar vs Nils
Gunnar 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, Gunnar was ranked #250 and Nils #61 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Gunnar was ranked #2443 and Nils #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Gunnar and Nils over time
Gunnar and Nils appear together in 2 published lists, across 91 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1962, Nils moved ahead of Gunnar in Norway · Boys — #35 and #36 the year before became #39 and #28.
- Longest-running competitions
Gunnar and Nils were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #250 and #61.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Gunnar #10 in 1946, Nils #21 in 1947.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Gunnar held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Nils in 65.
Highest recorded here: Gunnar #10 in 1946, Nils #21 in 1947.
The order changed in 1962: Nils moved ahead. In 1961 they stood at #35 and #36; by 1962 that had become #39 and #28.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gunnar #250, Nils #61.
England and Wales · Boys10 shared years, 2009–2024
Gunnar held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Nils in 4.
Highest recorded here: Gunnar #1786 in 2018, Nils #1859 in 2009.
The order changed in 2016: Gunnar moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #3373 and #2319; by 2016 that had become #2556 and #4810.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gunnar #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 | Gunnar | 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 | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #250 (2025) | Norway · Boys #61 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gunnar has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Nils.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Gunnar
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #13 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: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #250 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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