Leon vs Oliver
Leon and Olivercompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Leon was ranked #53 and Oliver #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Leon was ranked #95 and Oliver #2 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Leon was ranked #100 and Oliver #3 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Leon was ranked #46 and Oliver #5 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Leon was ranked #56 and Oliver #7 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Leon was ranked #125 and Oliver #10 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Leon was ranked #73 and Oliver #18 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Leon and Oliver over time
Leon and Oliver appear together in 6 published lists, across 189 years of shared records. Oliver held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Leon 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.
Oliver reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Leon in 2. 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
Leon and Oliver changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1959 and 2025, ending at #46 and #5.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 57 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Leon and Oliver averaged 54.5 places apart, ending at #73 and #18.
- Longest-running competitions
Leon and Oliver were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 54 years, from 1959 to 2025, ending at #46 and #5.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Leon #60 in 2009, Oliver #1 in 2009.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys57 shared years, 1968–2025
Leon held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Oliver in 39.
Highest recorded here: Leon #44 in 2008, Oliver #14 in 1975.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leon #73, Oliver #18.
Norway · Boys54 shared years, 1959–2025
Leon held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Oliver in 47.
Highest recorded here: Leon #13 in 2014, Oliver #1 in 2018.
The order changed in 1990: Oliver moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #432 and #434; by 1990 that had become #535 and #231.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leon #46, Oliver #5.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Leon held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Oliver in 29.
Highest recorded here: Leon #60 in 2009, Oliver #1 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leon #100, Oliver #3.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Leon held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Oliver in 28.
Highest recorded here: Leon #70 in 2010, Oliver #3 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Leon #125, Oliver #10.
New Zealand · Boys11 shared years, 1983–2023
Leon held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Oliver in 11.
Highest recorded here: Leon #83 in 2022, Oliver #1 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Leon #95, Oliver #2.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys10 shared years, 2016–2025
Leon held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Oliver in 10.
Highest recorded here: Leon #43 in 2022, Oliver #1 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Leon #53, Oliver #2.
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 | Oliver |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree', though the true root is debated. |
| Origin | Greek | Old French |
| Pronunciation | /ˈleː.ɔn/ | /ˈɒlɪvər/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Leo | Ollie, Olivier, Oliviero |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #46 (2025) | United Kingdom #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Leon is recorded with a Greek origin, while Oliver is recorded with a Old French origin.
- Leon has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Oliver.
- Leon's recorded meaning differs from Oliver's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Leon a "high" Data Confidence level and Oliver 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
Oliver
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #478 among boys in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2009 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys