Niven vs Willow

Niven and Willowcompared 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 2022, Niven was ranked #4789 and Willow #4001 among boys in England and Wales.

Niven and Willow over time

Niven and Willow appear together in 1 published list, across 9 years of shared records. Willow held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Niven 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.

Willow reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Niven 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 · Boys9 shared years, 2005–2022
Niven held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Willow in 5.
Highest recorded here: Niven #2488 in 2019, Willow #2445 in 2018.
The order changed in 2020: Willow moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #2488 and #4702; by 2020 that had become #3848 and #3848.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Niven #4789, Willow #4001.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Willow

Pairs where Willow shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Willow vs Evelyn
Willow and Evelyn both rose over the same years in 5 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Willow · Evelyn · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Willow vs Aurora
Willow and Aurora both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Willow · Aurora · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Charlotte vs Willow
Charlotte and Willow both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Charlotte · Willow · 23 shared years, 2003–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Freya vs Willow
Freya and Willow both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Freya · Willow · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Niven, Willow
Field	Niven	Willow
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Editorially researched profile
Gender usage	male	female
Meaning	Not yet recorded	From the name of the willow tree, ultimately from Old English 'welig' — an English nature/word name.
Origin	Not yet recorded	English, a modern nature name from the willow tree
Pronunciation	Not yet recorded	/ˈwɪl.oʊ/
Syllables	2	2
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	GB-ENW, GB-SCT	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Scotland · Boys #727 (2024)	New South Wales, Australia · Girls #23 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	94/100	88/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	60/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Willow has a recorded origin (English, a modern nature name from the willow tree); Niven does not have one recorded yet.
Niven and Willow both have 2 syllables.
A meaning is recorded for Willow; Niven doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT.

How each name got here

Niven

Popularity journey

First recorded1999
First recorded at #2943 among boys in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #4789 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022.
England and Wales · Boys

Willow

Popularity journey

First recorded1996
First recorded at #891 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2010–2023
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New Zealand, in 2020 (recorded 2010–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls