Linas vs Nicholas
Linas and Nicholascompared 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 2021, Linas was ranked #3990 and Nicholas #166 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2018, Linas was ranked #478 and Nicholas #246 among boys in Norway.
Linas and Nicholas over time
Linas and Nicholas appear together in 1 published list, across 30 years of shared records. Nicholas held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Linas 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.
Linas reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Nicholas 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
Linas and Nicholas changed places 9 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 2018, ending at #478 and #246.
- Longest-running competitions
Linas and Nicholas were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 30 years, from 1966 to 2018, ending at #478 and #246.
List by list
Norway · Boys30 shared years, 1966–2018
Linas held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Nicholas in 21.
Highest recorded here: Linas #289 in 1972, Nicholas #176 in 1993.
The order changed in 1984: Nicholas moved ahead. In 1983 they stood at #350 and #365; by 1984 that had become #508 and #261.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Linas #478, Nicholas #246.
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 | Linas | Nicholas |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Greek Nikolaos, combining 'nike' (victory) and 'laos' (people) — 'victory of the people'. Associated with Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop and the inspiration for Santa Claus. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈnɪk.ə.ləs/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3990 (2021) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #198 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Nicholas has a recorded origin (Greek); Linas does not have one recorded yet.
- Linas has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Nicholas.
- A meaning is recorded for Nicholas; Linas doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Linas
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #486 among boys in Norway in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2018
Highest recorded position: #289 among boys in Norway, in 1972 (recorded 1965–2018).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #3990 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021.
England and Wales · Boys
Nicholas
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #384 among boys in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1955–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2002 (recorded 1955–2024).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #325 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys