Leon vs Nils
Leon 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, Leon was ranked #46 and Nils #61 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Leon was ranked #100 and Nils #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1992, Leon was ranked #135 and Nils #337 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Leon and Nils over time
Leon and Nils appear together in 2 published lists, across 93 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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 Leon 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 2003, Leon moved ahead of Nils in Norway · Boys — #148 and #129 the year before became #112 and #140.
- Mirrored each other
Over 69 shared years in Norway · Boys, Leon rose about as far as Nils fell — from #306 and #26 in 1945 to #46 and #61 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Leon and Nils were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 69 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #46 and #61.
List by list
Norway · Boys69 shared years, 1945–2025
Leon held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Nils in 46.
Highest recorded here: Leon #13 in 2014, Nils #21 in 1950.
The order changed in 2003: Leon moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #148 and #129; by 2003 that had become #112 and #140.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leon #46, Nils #61.
England and Wales · Boys24 shared years, 1996–2024
Leon held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Nils in 0.
Highest recorded here: Leon #60 in 2009, Nils #1746 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leon #100, 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 | Leon | Nils |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Greek λέων (leon), meaning 'lion'. Merged with the Latin cognate Leo during the Christian era, making the two forms largely interchangeable across Europe; also used among medieval English Jews. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈleː.ɔn/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Leo | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #46 (2025) | Norway · Boys #61 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Leon has a recorded origin (Greek); Nils does not have one recorded yet.
- Leon and Nils both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Leon; Nils doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Leon a "high" Data Confidence level and Nils a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Leon
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #306 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: #13 among boys in Norway, in 2014 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #53 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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