Oddbjørn vs Paul
Oddbjørn and Paulcompared 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 2013, Oddbjørn was ranked #549 and Paul #281 among boys in Norway.
Oddbjørn and Paul over time
Oddbjørn and Paul appear together in 1 published list, across 62 years of shared records. Paul held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Oddbjørn in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Paul reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Oddbjørn 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
Oddbjørn and Paul were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 62 years, from 1945 to 2013, ending at #549 and #281.
List by list
Norway · Boys62 shared years, 1945–2013
Oddbjørn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Paul in 62.
Highest recorded here: Oddbjørn #79 in 1950, Paul #67 in 1946.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Oddbjørn #549, Paul #281.
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 Paul
Pairs where Paul shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Paul vs Ross
In 1996 they stood at #72 and #68 in England and Wales · Boys, 4 places apart; by 2025 they were #602 and #2014.
Paul · Ross · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Paul vs Craig
In 1996 they stood at #72 and #81 in England and Wales · Boys, 9 places apart; by 2025 they were #602 and #1705.
Paul · Craig · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Paul vs Mitchell
In 1996 they stood at #72 and #79 in England and Wales · Boys, 7 places apart; by 2025 they were #602 and #1538.
Paul · Mitchell · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Patrick vs Paul
In 1996 they stood at #66 and #72 in England and Wales · Boys, 6 places apart; by 2025 they were #134 and #602.
Patrick · Paul · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
Side by side
| Field | Oddbjørn | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From the Roman name Paulus, meaning 'small' in Latin. Saint Paul, originally named Saul, converted to Christianity and became a key missionary figure, authoring several New Testament epistles. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈpɔːl/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #549 (2013) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Paul has a recorded origin (Latin); Oddbjørn does not have one recorded yet.
- Oddbjørn and Paul both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Paul; Oddbjørn doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Oddbjørn
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #87 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2013
Highest recorded position: #79 among boys in Norway, in 1950 (recorded 1945–2013).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2013
Most recently recorded at #549 among boys in Norway, in 2013.
Norway · Boys
Paul
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #73 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #602 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys