Gustav vs Nils
Gustav 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, Gustav was ranked #19 and Nils #61 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2021, Gustav was ranked #2125 and Nils #3990 among boys in England and Wales.
Gustav and Nils over time
Gustav and Nils appear together in 2 published lists, across 101 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.
Nils reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Gustav 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2006, Gustav moved ahead of Nils in Norway · Boys — #136 and #128 the year before became #131 and #144.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Gustav and Nils changed places 11 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1997 and 2021, ending at #2125 and #3990.
- Mirrored each other
Over 81 shared years in Norway · Boys, Gustav rose about as far as Nils fell — from #154 and #26 in 1945 to #19 and #61 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Gustav and Nils were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #19 and #61.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Gustav held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Nils in 61.
Highest recorded here: Gustav #19 in 2025, Nils #21 in 1947.
The order changed in 2006: Gustav moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #136 and #128; by 2006 that had become #131 and #144.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Gustav #19, Nils #61.
England and Wales · Boys20 shared years, 1997–2021
Gustav held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Nils in 9.
Highest recorded here: Gustav #1786 in 2015, Nils #1761 in 1997.
The order changed in 2021: Gustav moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #3937 and #3411; by 2021 that had become #2125 and #3990.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Gustav #2125, Nils #3990.
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 | Gustav | 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 #19 (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
- Gustav has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Nils.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Gustav
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #154 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: #19 among boys in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 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