Krister vs Stephen
Krister 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 2001, Krister was ranked #343 and Stephen #522 among boys in Norway.
Krister and Stephen over time
Krister and Stephen appear together in 1 published list, across 30 years of shared records. Krister 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.
Stephen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Krister 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
Krister and Stephen changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1967 and 2001, ending at #343 and #522.
- Longest-running competitions
Krister and Stephen were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 30 years, from 1967 to 2001, ending at #343 and #522.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Krister #148 in 1992, Stephen #250 in 1990.
List by list
Norway · Boys30 shared years, 1967–2001
Krister held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Stephen in 8.
Highest recorded here: Krister #148 in 1992, Stephen #250 in 1990.
The order changed in 1982: Krister moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #333 and #320; by 1982 that had become #289 and #425.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Krister #343, Stephen #522.
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 | Krister | 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 #507 (2019) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Stephen has a recorded origin (Greek); Krister does not have one recorded yet.
- Krister and Stephen both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Stephen; Krister doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
- The available evidence gives Krister 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
Krister
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #464 among boys in Norway in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2019
Highest recorded position: #148 among boys in Norway, in 1992 (recorded 1967–2019).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2019
Most recently recorded at #507 among boys in Norway, in 2019.
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