Maximilian vs Rafael
Maximilian and Rafaelcompared 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 2025, Maximilian was ranked #206 and Rafael #189 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Maximilian was ranked #414 and Rafael #234 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Maximilian was ranked #286 and Rafael #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Maximilian was ranked #296 and Rafael #328 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Maximilian was ranked #330 and Rafael #619 among boys in Scotland.
Maximilian and Rafael over time
Maximilian and Rafael appear together in 3 published lists, across 82 years of shared records. Maximilian held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Rafael 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.
Maximilian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Rafael 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2025, Rafael moved ahead of Maximilian in England and Wales · Boys — #203 and #215 the year before became #206 and #189.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Maximilian and Rafael changed places 6 times in Norway · Boys between 1988 and 2025, ending at #296 and #328.
- Longest-running competitions
Maximilian and Rafael were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #206 and #189.
List by list
Norway · Boys31 shared years, 1988–2025
Maximilian held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Rafael in 4.
Highest recorded here: Maximilian #149 in 2014, Rafael #222 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maximilian #296, Rafael #328.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Maximilian held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Rafael in 2.
Highest recorded here: Maximilian #149 in 2018, Rafael #181 in 2022.
The order changed in 2025: Rafael moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #203 and #215; by 2025 that had become #206 and #189.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maximilian #206, Rafael #189.
Republic of Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 2005–2025
Maximilian held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Rafael in 0.
Highest recorded here: Maximilian #150 in 2016, Rafael #306 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Maximilian #286, Rafael #329.
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 | Maximilian | Rafael |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #206 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #189 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 64/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Maximilian has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Rafael.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Maximilian
Popularity journey
First recorded1987
First recorded at #631 among boys in Norway in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #149 among boys in England and Wales, in 2018 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #206 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Rafael
Popularity journey
First recorded1963
First recorded at #445 among boys in Norway in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #181 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #189 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys