Namewise

Leon vs William

Leon and Williamcompared 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 William #3 among boys in Norway.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2025, Leon was ranked #53 and William #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Leon was ranked #95 and William #14 among boys in New Zealand.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Leon was ranked #101 and William #25 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Leon was ranked #56 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Leon was ranked #125 and William #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Leon was ranked #73 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

Leon and William over time

Leon and William appear together in 6 published lists, across 214 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Leon in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

William reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Leon in 1. 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 William changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2025, ending at #46 and #3.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Leon and William were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #101 and #25.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Leon #13 in 2014, William #1 in 2012.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys69 shared years, 1945–2025

    Leon held the stronger position in 2 of those years, William in 67.

    Highest recorded here: Leon #13 in 2014, William #1 in 2012.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Leon #46, William #3.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys57 shared years, 1968–2025

    Leon held the stronger position in 5 of those years, William in 50.

    Highest recorded here: Leon #44 in 2008, William #8 in 1968.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Leon #73, William #73.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Leon held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 30.

    Highest recorded here: Leon #60 in 2009, William #7 in 2006.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Leon #101, William #25.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Leon held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 28.

    Highest recorded here: Leon #70 in 2010, William #26 in 1997.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Leon #125, William #64.

  • New Zealand · Boys20 shared years, 1973–2023

    Leon held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 20.

    Highest recorded here: Leon #82 in 1982, William #3 in 2008.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Leon #95, William #14.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys10 shared years, 2016–2025

    Leon held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Leon #43 in 2022, William #2 in 2016.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Leon #53, William #11.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Leon

Pairs where Leon shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving William

Pairs where William shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — peaked in the same years.

All peaked in the same years→

Other pairs from Norway lists

Pairs measured inside Norway's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

Norway overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Leon, William
FieldLeonWilliam
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningFrom 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 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection.
OriginGreekGermanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm)
Pronunciation/ˈleː.ɔn//ˈwɪljəm/
Syllables12
Common variants / nicknamesLeoNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Boys #46 (2025)Norway · Boys #3 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10082/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighmedium

What the data shows

  • Leon is recorded with a Greek origin, while William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
  • Leon has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for William.
  • Leon's recorded meaning differs from William'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 William 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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1945–2025

    Highest recorded position: #13 among boys in Norway, in 2014 (recorded 1945–2025).

    Norway · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #101 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

William

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1952–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #25 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys