Nils vs Oliver
Nils and Olivercompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Nils was ranked #4270 and Oliver #3 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Nils was ranked #61 and Oliver #5 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1992, Nils was ranked #337 and Oliver #180 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Nils and Oliver over time
Nils and Oliver appear together in 2 published lists, across 84 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Nils reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Oliver 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, Oliver moved ahead of Nils in Norway · Boys — #121 and #162 the year before became #115 and #103.
- Mirrored each other
Over 24 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Oliver rose about as far as Nils fell — from #2020 and #23 in 1996 to #4270 and #3 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Nils and Oliver were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 60 years, from 1959 to 2025, ending at #61 and #5.
List by list
Norway · Boys60 shared years, 1959–2025
Nils held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Oliver in 29.
Highest recorded here: Nils #31 in 1959, Oliver #1 in 2018.
The order changed in 1997: Oliver moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #121 and #162; by 1997 that had become #115 and #103.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Nils #61, Oliver #5.
England and Wales · Boys24 shared years, 1996–2024
Nils held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Oliver in 24.
Highest recorded here: Nils #1746 in 2001, Oliver #1 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Nils #4270, Oliver #3.
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 | Nils | Oliver |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree', though the true root is debated. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Old French |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɒlɪvər/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Ollie, Olivier, Oliviero |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #61 (2025) | United Kingdom #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Oliver has a recorded origin (Old French); Nils does not have one recorded yet.
- Nils has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Oliver.
- A meaning is recorded for Oliver; Nils doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Nils
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #26 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: #21 among boys in Norway, in 1947 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #61 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Oliver
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #478 among boys in Norway in 1959 — 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 2009 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys