Olaf vs Valentin
Olaf and Valentincompared 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 2023, Olaf was ranked #304 and Valentin #423 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Olaf was ranked #631 and Valentin #631 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Olaf was ranked #2443 and Valentin #1859 among boys in England and Wales.
Olaf and Valentin over time
Olaf and Valentin appear together in 2 published lists, across 56 years of shared records. Olaf held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Valentin 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.
Olaf reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Valentin 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Olaf and Valentin changed places 6 times in Norway · Boys between 1960 and 2023, ending at #304 and #423.
- Longest-running competitions
Olaf and Valentin were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 35 years, from 1960 to 2023, ending at #304 and #423.
List by list
Norway · Boys35 shared years, 1960–2023
Olaf held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Valentin in 3.
Highest recorded here: Olaf #144 in 1960, Valentin #352 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Olaf #304, Valentin #423.
England and Wales · Boys21 shared years, 2004–2024
Olaf held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Valentin in 4.
Highest recorded here: Olaf #506 in 2015, Valentin #962 in 2020.
The order changed in 2022: Valentin moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #939 and #1055; by 2022 that had become #1609 and #1104.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Olaf #2443, Valentin #1859.
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 | Olaf | Valentin |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #288 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1859 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Olaf has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Valentin.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Olaf
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #89 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: #85 among boys in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #288 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Valentin
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #498 among boys in Norway in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1960–2023
Highest recorded position: #352 among boys in Norway, in 2000 (recorded 1960–2023).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1859 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys