Magnus vs Ray
Magnus and Raycompared 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Magnus was ranked #130 and Ray #404 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Magnus was ranked #312 and Ray #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Magnus was ranked #358 and Ray #613 among boys in England and Wales.
Magnus and Ray over time
Magnus and Ray appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Magnus held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ray 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.
Ray reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Magnus 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
Magnus and Ray changed places 9 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #358 and #613.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Magnus held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Ray in 6.
Highest recorded here: Magnus #335 in 2022, Ray #429 in 2019.
The order changed in 2013: Magnus moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #625 and #592; by 2013 that had become #565 and #931.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Magnus #358, Ray #613.
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 | Magnus | Ray |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Directly 'great' or 'mighty' in Latin. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmæɡnəs/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Mags | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway #12 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Magnus has a recorded origin (Latin); Ray does not have one recorded yet.
- Magnus has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ray.
- A meaning is recorded for Magnus; Ray doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Magnus a "high" Data Confidence level and Ray a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Magnus
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #125 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: #3 among boys in Norway, in 2013 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #12 in Norway, in 2025.
Norway
Ray
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #265 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #251 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1967–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys