Nicolay vs Theodor
Nicolay and Theodorcompared 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 2021, Nicolay was ranked #445 and Theodor #17 among boys in Norway.
Nicolay and Theodor over time
Nicolay and Theodor appear together in 1 published list, across 38 years of shared records. Theodor held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Nicolay 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.
Nicolay reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Theodor 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1997, Theodor moved ahead of Nicolay in Norway · Boys — #260 and #263 the year before became #291 and #161.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Nicolay and Theodor changed places 7 times in Norway · Boys between 1980 and 2021, ending at #445 and #17.
- Longest-running competitions
Nicolay and Theodor were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 38 years, from 1980 to 2021, ending at #445 and #17.
List by list
Norway · Boys38 shared years, 1980–2021
Nicolay held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Theodor in 29.
Highest recorded here: Nicolay #151 in 2009, Theodor #11 in 2019.
The order changed in 1997: Theodor moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #260 and #263; by 1997 that had become #291 and #161.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Nicolay #445, Theodor #17.
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 | Nicolay | Theodor |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The German form of Theodore, and a Scandinavian, Czech and Romanian variant of Teodor — from Greek 'theos' (god) and 'doron' (gift), 'gift of God'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek roots, transmitted through German and Scandinavian naming traditions as a Teodor variant |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈteː.o.doːɐ̯/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #445 (2021) | Norway · Boys #11 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Theodor has a recorded origin (Greek roots, transmitted through German and Scandinavian naming traditions as a Teodor variant); Nicolay does not have one recorded yet.
- Nicolay has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Theodor.
- A meaning is recorded for Theodor; Nicolay doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Nicolay
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #565 among boys in Norway in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1971–2021
Highest recorded position: #151 among boys in Norway, in 2009 (recorded 1971–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #445 among boys in Norway, in 2021.
Norway · Boys
Theodor
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #363 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1948–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1948–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys