Kaare vs William
Kaare and Williamcompared 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 1983, Kaare was ranked #588 and William #169 among boys in Norway.
Kaare and William over time
Kaare and William appear together in 1 published list, across 31 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Kaare 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.
Kaare reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and William 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
Kaare and William changed places 7 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 1983, ending at #588 and #169.
- Longest-running competitions
Kaare and William were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 31 years, from 1945 to 1983, ending at #588 and #169.
List by list
Norway · Boys31 shared years, 1945–1983
Kaare held the stronger position in 7 of those years, William in 24.
Highest recorded here: Kaare #199 in 1947, William #169 in 1983.
The order changed in 1971: William moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #382 and #393; by 1971 that had become #474 and #287.
Most recent shared year, 1983: Kaare #588, William #169.
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 | Kaare | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #588 (1983) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- William has a recorded origin (Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm)); Kaare does not have one recorded yet.
- Kaare and William both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for William; Kaare doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Kaare
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #214 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–1983
Highest recorded position: #199 among boys in Norway, in 1947 (recorded 1945–1983).
Norway · Boys
Most recent1983
Most recently recorded at #588 among boys in Norway, in 1983.
Norway · Boys
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys