Nils vs Rakan
Nils and Rakancompared 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 Rakan #2088 among boys in England and Wales.
Nils and Rakan over time
Nils and Rakan appear together in 1 published list, across 16 years of shared records. Nils held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Rakan 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.
Nils reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Rakan 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
England and Wales · Boys16 shared years, 2005–2024
Nils held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Rakan in 7.
Highest recorded here: Nils #1859 in 2009, Rakan #1984 in 2021.
The order changed in 2016: Rakan moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #2319 and #3373; by 2016 that had become #4810 and #2027.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Nils #4270, Rakan #2088.
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 | Rakan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | GB-ENW |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #61 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2088 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Nils has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Rakan.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
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
Rakan
Popularity journey
First recorded2005
First recorded at #3208 among boys in England and Wales in 2005 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2005–2024
Highest recorded position: #1534 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022 (recorded 2005–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2088 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys