Lars vs Rana
Lars and Ranacompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Lars was ranked #1859 and Rana #2263 among boys in England and Wales.
Lars and Rana over time
Lars and Rana appear together in 1 published list, across 25 years of shared records. Lars held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Rana 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.
Rana reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Lars 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Lars #1110 in 1998, Rana #1761 in 1997.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys25 shared years, 1997–2024
Lars held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Rana in 1.
Highest recorded here: Lars #1110 in 1998, Rana #1761 in 1997.
The order changed in 1998: Lars moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #2022 and #1761; by 1998 that had become #1110 and #2901.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Lars #1859, Rana #2263.
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 | Lars | Rana |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #90 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Lars has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Rana.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Lars
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #24 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: #2 among boys in Norway, in 1976 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #90 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Rana
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #576 among girls in Norway in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1967–2017
Highest recorded position: #302 among girls in Norway, in 1982 (recorded 1967–2017).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1743 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls