Han vs Nils
Han 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 2021, Han was ranked #3017 and Nils #3990 among boys in England and Wales.
Han and Nils over time
Han and Nils appear together in 1 published list, across 15 years of shared records. Nils held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Han 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 Han 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 · Boys15 shared years, 1998–2021
Han held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Nils in 9.
Highest recorded here: Han #2097 in 2008, Nils #1746 in 2001.
The order changed in 2016: Han moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #3373 and #2319; by 2016 that had become #3079 and #4810.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Han #3017, 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 | Han | Nils |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | 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 · Girls #5891 (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
- Han and Nils both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
How each name got here
Han
Popularity journey
First recorded1998
First recorded at #2901 among boys in England and Wales in 1998 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2021
Highest recorded position: #2097 among boys in England and Wales, in 2008 (recorded 1998–2021).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
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