Nicholas vs Svenn
Nicholas and Svenncompared 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, Nicholas was ranked #175 and Svenn #488 among boys in Norway.
Nicholas and Svenn over time
Nicholas and Svenn appear together in 1 published list, across 38 years of shared records. Svenn held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Nicholas 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.
Svenn reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Nicholas 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
Nicholas and Svenn changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1951 and 1998, ending at #175 and #488.
- Longest-running competitions
Nicholas and Svenn were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 38 years, from 1951 to 1998, ending at #175 and #488.
List by list
Norway · Boys38 shared years, 1951–1998
Nicholas held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Svenn in 22.
Highest recorded here: Nicholas #169 in 1995, Svenn #147 in 1951.
The order changed in 1986: Nicholas moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #285 and #276; by 1986 that had become #269 and #635.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Nicholas #175, Svenn #488.
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 | Nicholas | Svenn |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Greek Nikolaos, combining 'nike' (victory) and 'laos' (people) — 'victory of the people'. Associated with Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop and the inspiration for Santa Claus. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈnɪk.ə.ləs/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #198 (2025) | Norway · Boys #488 (1998) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Nicholas has a recorded origin (Greek); Svenn does not have one recorded yet.
- Nicholas has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Svenn.
- A meaning is recorded for Nicholas; Svenn doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Nicholas
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #384 among boys in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1955–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2002 (recorded 1955–2024).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #214 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Svenn
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #203 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: #137 among boys in Norway, in 1947 (recorded 1945–1998).
Norway · Boys
Most recent1998
Most recently recorded at #488 among boys in Norway, in 1998.
Norway · Boys