Karstein vs Stephen
Karstein 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 1993, Karstein was ranked #607 and Stephen #388 among boys in Norway.
Karstein and Stephen over time
Karstein and Stephen appear together in 1 published list, across 31 years of shared records. Karstein held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Stephen 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.
Karstein 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
Karstein and Stephen changed places 9 times in Norway · Boys between 1946 and 1993, ending at #607 and #388.
- Longest-running competitions
Karstein and Stephen were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 31 years, from 1946 to 1993, ending at #607 and #388.
List by list
Norway · Boys31 shared years, 1946–1993
Karstein held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Stephen in 15.
Highest recorded here: Karstein #139 in 1946, Stephen #210 in 1956.
The order changed in 1981: Stephen moved ahead. In 1980 they stood at #455 and #465; by 1981 that had become #596 and #320.
Most recent shared year, 1993: Karstein #607, Stephen #388.
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 | Karstein | 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 #530 (2002) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Stephen has a recorded origin (Greek); Karstein does not have one recorded yet.
- Karstein and Stephen both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Stephen; Karstein doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
- The available evidence gives Karstein 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
Karstein
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #194 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2002
Highest recorded position: #134 among boys in Norway, in 1951 (recorded 1945–2002).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2002
Most recently recorded at #530 among boys in Norway, in 2002.
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