Gøran vs Stephen
Gøran and Stephencompared 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 2001, Gøran was ranked #449 and Stephen #522 among boys in Norway.
Gøran and Stephen over time
Gøran and Stephen appear together in 1 published list, across 46 years of shared records. Gøran held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Stephen 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.
Stephen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Gøran 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
Gøran and Stephen changed places 9 times in Norway · Boys between 1949 and 2001, ending at #449 and #522.
- Longest-running competitions
Gøran and Stephen were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 46 years, from 1949 to 2001, ending at #449 and #522.
List by list
Norway · Boys46 shared years, 1949–2001
Gøran held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Stephen in 6.
Highest recorded here: Gøran #124 in 1993, Stephen #210 in 1956.
The order changed in 1964: Gøran moved ahead. In 1963 they stood at #306 and #298; by 1964 that had become #246 and #312.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Gøran #449, Stephen #522.
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 | Gøran | Stephen |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Greek Stephanos, meaning 'crown, wreath' — literally 'that which surrounds'. Saint Stephen, a deacon stoned to death in the New Testament, is regarded as the first Christian martyr. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈstiː.vən/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Steven, Stefan, Stephan |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #494 (2004) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Stephen has a recorded origin (Greek); Gøran does not have one recorded yet.
- Gøran has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Stephen.
- A meaning is recorded for Stephen; Gøran doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
- The available evidence gives Gøran a "medium" Data Confidence level and Stephen a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Gøran
Popularity journey
First recorded1949
First recorded at #351 among boys in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1949–2004
Highest recorded position: #124 among boys in Norway, in 1993 (recorded 1949–2004).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2004
Most recently recorded at #494 among boys in Norway, in 2004.
Norway · Boys
Stephen
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #352 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1997
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1955 (recorded 1952–1997).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys