Jonas vs Nils
Jonas 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, Jonas was ranked #49 and Nils #61 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Jonas was ranked #691 and Nils #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Jonas and Nils over time
Jonas and Nils appear together in 2 published lists, across 101 years of shared records. Jonas 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.
Nils reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Jonas 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 1982, Jonas moved ahead of Nils in Norway · Boys — #67 and #66 the year before became #61 and #66.
- Mirrored each other
Over 77 shared years in Norway · Boys, Jonas rose about as far as Nils fell — from #257 and #26 in 1945 to #49 and #61 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Jonas and Nils were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 77 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #49 and #61.
List by list
Norway · Boys77 shared years, 1945–2025
Jonas held the stronger position in 44 of those years, Nils in 33.
Highest recorded here: Jonas #1 in 2006, Nils #21 in 1947.
The order changed in 1982: Jonas moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #67 and #66; by 1982 that had become #61 and #66.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jonas #49, Nils #61.
England and Wales · Boys24 shared years, 1996–2024
Jonas held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Nils in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jonas #422 in 2018, Nils #1746 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jonas #691, 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 | Jonas | Nils |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with the biblical figure Jonah; some traditions link the underlying Hebrew root to 'dove'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Greek; used in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German tradition | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈjuː.nas/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #49 (2025) | Norway · Boys #61 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jonas has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Greek; used in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German tradition); Nils does not have one recorded yet.
- Jonas has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Nils.
- A meaning is recorded for Jonas; Nils doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Jonas
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #257 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: #1 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 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