Namewise

Harald vs Nils

Harald 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, Harald was ranked #109 and Nils #61 among boys in Norway.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Harald was ranked #5137 and Nils #4275 among boys in England and Wales.

Harald and Nils over time

Harald and Nils appear together in 1 published list, across 81 years of shared records. Nils held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Harald 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.

Harald reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Nils 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.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025

    Harald held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Nils in 53.

    Highest recorded here: Harald #8 in 1945, Nils #21 in 1947.

    The order changed in 2009: Nils moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #128 and #143; by 2009 that had become #185 and #140.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Harald #109, Nils #61.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Harald

Pairs where Harald shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Nils

Pairs where Nils shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — repeatedly exchanged positions.

All repeatedly exchanged positions→

Other pairs from Norway lists

Pairs measured inside Norway's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Norway overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Harald, Nils
FieldHaraldNils
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Pronunciation
Syllables21
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, NOGB-ENW, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Boys #109 (2025)Norway · Boys #61 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)60/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Harald has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Nils.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.

How each name got here

Harald

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #8 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #5137 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Nils

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #21 among boys in Norway, in 1947 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #4275 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys