Gunnar vs Ole
Gunnar and Olecompared 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 Ole #52 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2022, Gunnar was ranked #1879 and Ole #4789 among boys in England and Wales.
Gunnar and Ole over time
Gunnar and Ole appear together in 2 published lists, across 92 years of shared records. Ole held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Gunnar in 0.
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 1951, Ole moved ahead of Gunnar in Norway · Boys — #11 and #12 the year before became #13 and #10.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Gunnar and Ole changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 2009 and 2022, ending at #1879 and #4789.
- Longest-running competitions
Gunnar and Ole were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #250 and #52.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Gunnar held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Ole in 75.
Highest recorded here: Gunnar #10 in 1946, Ole #6 in 1979.
The order changed in 1951: Ole moved ahead. In 1950 they stood at #11 and #12; by 1951 that had become #13 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gunnar #250, Ole #52.
England and Wales · Boys11 shared years, 2009–2022
Gunnar held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Ole in 6.
Highest recorded here: Gunnar #1786 in 2018, Ole #1265 in 2009.
The order changed in 2021: Gunnar moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #2728 and #1745; by 2021 that had become #1860 and #3017.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Gunnar #1879, Ole #4789.
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 | Ole |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #250 (2025) | Norway · Boys #52 (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 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gunnar and Ole both have 2 syllables.
- 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
Ole
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #16 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: #6 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys