Hans vs Nils
Hans 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, Hans was ranked #97 and Nils #61 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Hans was ranked #3254 and Nils #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Hans and Nils over time
Hans and Nils appear together in 2 published lists, across 105 years of shared records. Hans held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Nils 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.
Nils reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Hans 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 2016, Nils moved ahead of Hans in Norway · Boys — #111 and #117 the year before became #129 and #102.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Hans and Nils changed places 11 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #3254 and #4270.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 81 shared years in Norway · Boys, Hans and Nils averaged 32.3 places apart, ending at #97 and #61.
- Longest-running competitions
Hans and Nils were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #97 and #61.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Hans #10 in 1949, Nils #21 in 1947.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
Hans held the stronger position in 70 of those years, Nils in 11.
Highest recorded here: Hans #10 in 1949, Nils #21 in 1947.
The order changed in 2016: Nils moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #111 and #117; by 2016 that had become #129 and #102.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hans #97, Nils #61.
England and Wales · Boys24 shared years, 1996–2024
Hans held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Nils in 9.
Highest recorded here: Hans #1377 in 2005, Nils #1746 in 2001.
The order changed in 2016: Hans moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #3004 and #2319; by 2016 that had become #3478 and #4810.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hans #3254, 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 | Hans | 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 | ||
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #97 (2025) | 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) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hans and Nils both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Hans
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #11 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 1949 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #97 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