Ingolf vs Stephen
Ingolf 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 1984, Ingolf was ranked #619 and Stephen #392 among boys in Norway.
Ingolf and Stephen over time
Ingolf and Stephen appear together in 1 published list, across 23 years of shared records. Stephen held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ingolf 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.
Ingolf reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Stephen 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
Ingolf and Stephen changed places 7 times in Norway · Boys between 1946 and 1984, ending at #619 and #392.
List by list
Norway · Boys23 shared years, 1946–1984
Ingolf held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Stephen in 13.
Highest recorded here: Ingolf #191 in 1952, Stephen #232 in 1958.
The order changed in 1972: Stephen moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #388 and #430; by 1972 that had become #552 and #304.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Ingolf #619, Stephen #392.
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 | Ingolf | 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 | 2 | 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 #619 (1984) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Stephen has a recorded origin (Greek); Ingolf does not have one recorded yet.
- Ingolf and Stephen both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Stephen; Ingolf doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
- The available evidence gives Ingolf 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
Ingolf
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #187 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–1984
Highest recorded position: #187 among boys in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–1984).
Norway · Boys
Most recent1984
Most recently recorded at #619 among boys in Norway, in 1984.
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