John vs Nils
John 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1992, John was ranked #4 and Nils #337 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, John was ranked #161 and Nils #61 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, John was ranked #164 and Nils #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
John and Nils over time
John and Nils appear together in 2 published lists, across 105 years of shared records. John held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Nils 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 2012, Nils moved ahead of John in Norway · Boys — #139 and #148 the year before became #120 and #118.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 81 shared years in Norway · Boys, John and Nils averaged 30.7 places apart, ending at #161 and #61.
- Longest-running competitions
John and Nils were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 81 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #161 and #61.
List by list
Norway · Boys81 shared years, 1945–2025
John held the stronger position in 67 of those years, Nils in 14.
Highest recorded here: John #12 in 1955, Nils #21 in 1947.
The order changed in 2012: Nils moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #139 and #148; by 2012 that had become #120 and #118.
Most recent shared year, 2025: John #161, Nils #61.
England and Wales · Boys24 shared years, 1996–2024
John held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Nils in 0.
Highest recorded here: John #46 in 1996, Nils #1746 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: John #164, 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 | John | Nils |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Hebrew Yochanan, 'Yahweh is gracious', via Greek Ioannes and Latin Iohannes. One of the most widespread names in Christian Europe, associated with both John the Baptist and the apostle John. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjɔn/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #29 (2025) | Norway · Boys #61 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- John has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Nils does not have one recorded yet.
- John and Nils both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for John; Nils doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
John
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #20 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2019
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–2019).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #161 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