Mervyn vs Norman
Mervyn and Normancompared 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1957, Mervyn was ranked #95 and Norman #96 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1989, Mervyn was ranked #278 and Norman #307 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2013, Mervyn was ranked #4685 and Norman #2403 among boys in England and Wales.
Mervyn and Norman over time
Mervyn and Norman appear together in 2 published lists, across 31 years of shared records. Norman held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mervyn 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Mervyn and Norman changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 1989, ending at #278 and #307.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 22 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Mervyn and Norman averaged 35.9 places apart, ending at #278 and #307.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 1964–1989
Mervyn held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Norman in 12.
Highest recorded here: Mervyn #136 in 1964, Norman #117 in 1968.
The order changed in 1984: Mervyn moved ahead. In 1983 they stood at #258 and #237; by 1984 that had become #274 and #318.
Most recent shared year, 1989: Mervyn #278, Norman #307.
England and Wales · Boys9 shared years, 1998–2013
Mervyn held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Norman in 4.
Highest recorded here: Mervyn #1962 in 2003, Norman #1485 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Mervyn #4685, Norman #2403.
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 | Mervyn | Norman |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3996 (2017) | England and Wales · Boys #2443 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Mervyn and Norman both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Mervyn
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #85 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1957
Highest recorded position: #85 among boys in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1957).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #3996 among boys in England and Wales, in 2017.
England and Wales · Boys
Norman
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #63 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1962
Highest recorded position: #62 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1962).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2443 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys