Narve vs Samuel

Narve and Samuelcompared 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 1978, Narve was ranked #627 and Samuel #269 among boys in Norway.

Narve and Samuel over time

Narve and Samuel appear together in 1 published list, across 22 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Narve 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.

Samuel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Narve 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
Narve and Samuel changed places 13 times in Norway · Boys between 1946 and 1978, ending at #627 and #269.
Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Narve #273 in 1951, Samuel #251 in 1950.

List by list

Norway · Boys22 shared years, 1946–1978
Narve held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Samuel in 12.
Highest recorded here: Narve #273 in 1951, Samuel #251 in 1950.
The order changed in 1974: Samuel moved ahead. In 1973 they stood at #514 and #523; by 1974 that had become #538 and #326.
Most recent shared year, 1978: Narve #627, Samuel #269.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Samuel

Pairs where Samuel shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Samuel vs Graham
In 1964 they stood at #119 and #129 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 10 places apart; by 2023 they were #90 and #770.
Samuel · Graham · 54 shared years, 1964–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2023 Republic of Ireland ranking
Samuel vs Garry
In 1964 they stood at #119 and #114 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 5 places apart; by 2009 they were #37 and #701.
Samuel · Garry · 45 shared years, 1964–2009 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2009 Republic of Ireland ranking
Samuel vs Roger
In 1964 they stood at #119 and #113 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2021 they were #75 and #631.
Samuel · Roger · 41 shared years, 1964–2021 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2021 Republic of Ireland ranking
Samuel vs Ross
In 1997 they stood at #39 and #30 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 9 places apart; by 2023 they were #79 and #395.
Samuel · Ross · 27 shared years, 1997–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2023 Northern Ireland ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Narve, Samuel
Field	Narve	Samuel
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Editorially researched profile
Gender usage	male	male
Meaning	Not yet recorded	Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised.
Origin	Not yet recorded	Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel
Pronunciation	Not yet recorded	/ˈsæmjuːəl/
Syllables	2	2
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	NO	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Norway · Boys #627 (1978)	New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	94/100	88/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	40/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Samuel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel); Narve does not have one recorded yet.
Narve and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
A meaning is recorded for Samuel; Narve doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in NO.

How each name got here

Narve

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #334 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–1978
Highest recorded position: #273 among boys in Norway, in 1951 (recorded 1945–1978).
Norway · Boys
Most recent1978
Most recently recorded at #627 among boys in Norway, in 1978.
Norway · Boys

Samuel

Popularity journey

First recorded1946
First recorded at #339 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1998 (recorded 1967–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys