Muhammad vs Torkild
Muhammad and Torkildcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 1998, Muhammad was ranked #242 and Torkild #592 among boys in Norway.
Muhammad and Torkild over time
Muhammad and Torkild appear together in 1 published list, across 31 years of shared records. Muhammad held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Torkild 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.
Torkild reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Muhammad 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
Muhammad and Torkild changed places 7 times in Norway · Boys between 1946 and 1998, ending at #242 and #592.
- Longest-running competitions
Muhammad and Torkild were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 31 years, from 1946 to 1998, ending at #242 and #592.
List by list
Norway · Boys31 shared years, 1946–1998
Muhammad held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Torkild in 5.
Highest recorded here: Muhammad #128 in 1985, Torkild #288 in 1946.
The order changed in 1970: Muhammad moved ahead. In 1969 they stood at #390 and #337; by 1970 that had become #231 and #513.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Muhammad #242, Torkild #592.
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 | Muhammad | Torkild |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Praiseworthy, commendable. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Arabic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /muˈħammad/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Mohammed, Mohammad, Mehmed | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #21 (2025) | Norway · Boys #592 (1998) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Muhammad has a recorded origin (Arabic); Torkild does not have one recorded yet.
- Muhammad has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Torkild.
- A meaning is recorded for Muhammad; Torkild doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
- The available evidence gives Muhammad a "high" Data Confidence level and Torkild a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Muhammad
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #319 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #21 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Torkild
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #322 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–1998
Highest recorded position: #288 among boys in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–1998).
Norway · Boys
Most recent1998
Most recently recorded at #592 among boys in Norway, in 1998.
Norway · Boys