Max vs Ragnar
Max and Ragnarcompared 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, Max was ranked #29 and Ragnar #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Max was ranked #44 and Ragnar #1460 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Max was ranked #72 and Ragnar #196 among boys in Norway.
Max and Ragnar over time
Max and Ragnar appear together in 2 published lists, across 73 years of shared records. Max held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ragnar 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 1997, Max moved ahead of Ragnar in Norway · Boys — #305 and #291 the year before became #189 and #400.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Max and Ragnar changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1946 and 2025, ending at #72 and #196.
- Longest-running competitions
Max and Ragnar were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 62 years, from 1946 to 2025, ending at #72 and #196.
List by list
Norway · Boys62 shared years, 1946–2025
Max held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Ragnar in 27.
Highest recorded here: Max #60 in 2012, Ragnar #42 in 1946.
The order changed in 1997: Max moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #305 and #291; by 1997 that had become #189 and #400.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Max #72, Ragnar #196.
England and Wales · Boys11 shared years, 2014–2024
Max held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Ragnar in 0.
Highest recorded here: Max #25 in 2016, Ragnar #1218 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Max #44, Ragnar #1460.
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 | Max | Ragnar |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A short form of Maximilian or Maxim, ultimately from Latin 'maximus' (greatest). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmæks/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #30 (2025) | Norway · Boys #196 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Max has a recorded origin (Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim); Ragnar does not have one recorded yet.
- Max has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Ragnar.
- A meaning is recorded for Max; Ragnar doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, NO.
How each name got here
Max
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #359 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1992–2023
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New Zealand, in 2016 (recorded 1992–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #30 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Ragnar
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #44 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: #42 among boys in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #196 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys