Noah vs Ragnar
Noah and Ragnarcompared 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 2025, Noah was ranked #1 and Ragnar #196 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Noah was ranked #1 and Ragnar #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Noah was ranked #2 and Ragnar #1460 among boys in England and Wales.
Noah and Ragnar over time
Noah and Ragnar appear together in 3 published lists, across 83 years of shared records. Noah held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ragnar 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.
Noah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ragnar 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Noah and Ragnar were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 34 years, from 2014 to 2024, ending at #2 and #1460.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Noah #1 in 2021, Ragnar #1218 in 2021.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys34 shared years, 2014–2024
Noah held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Ragnar in 0.
Highest recorded here: Noah #1 in 2021, Ragnar #1218 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Noah #2, Ragnar #1460.
Norway · Boys33 shared years, 1990–2025
Noah held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Ragnar in 4.
Highest recorded here: Noah #1 in 2021, Ragnar #145 in 2022.
The order changed in 1997: Noah moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #332 and #291; by 1997 that had become #274 and #400.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Noah #1, Ragnar #196.
Scotland · Boys16 shared years, 2024–2024
Noah held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Ragnar in 0.
Highest recorded here: Noah #1 in 2024, Ragnar #535 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Noah #1, Ragnar #535.
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 | Noah | Ragnar |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'rest' or 'comfort'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈnoʊə/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Noa, Noé | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #1 (2025) | Norway · Boys #196 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Noah has a recorded origin (Hebrew); Ragnar does not have one recorded yet.
- Noah has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Ragnar.
- A meaning is recorded for Noah; Ragnar doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, NO.
- The available evidence gives Noah a "high" Data Confidence level and Ragnar a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Noah
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #640 among boys in Norway in 1990 — 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 2021 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Ragnar
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #44 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: #42 among boys in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #196 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys