Nathan vs Rolf
Nathan and Rolfcompared 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 2025, Nathan was ranked #344 and Rolf #437 among boys in Norway.
Nathan and Rolf over time
Nathan and Rolf appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Nathan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Rolf 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.
Rolf reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Nathan 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.
List by list
Norway · Boys29 shared years, 1982–2025
Nathan held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Rolf in 13.
Highest recorded here: Nathan #236 in 2017, Rolf #120 in 1982.
The order changed in 2010: Nathan moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #349 and #295; by 2010 that had become #276 and #455.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Nathan #344, Rolf #437.
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 | Nathan | Rolf |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'he gave' or 'he has given'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈneɪθən/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | Norway · Boys #437 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Nathan has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Rolf does not have one recorded yet.
- Nathan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Rolf.
- A meaning is recorded for Nathan; Rolf doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in IE, NO.
How each name got here
Nathan
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #267 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–2018
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1981 (recorded 1969–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #344 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Rolf
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #15 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: #14 among boys in Norway, in 1950 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #437 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys