Oliver vs Wilhelm
Oliver and Wilhelmcompared 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 2015, Oliver was ranked #1 and Wilhelm #4747 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Oliver was ranked #5 and Wilhelm #121 among boys in Norway.
Oliver and Wilhelm over time
Oliver and Wilhelm appear together in 1 published list, across 56 years of shared records. Oliver held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Wilhelm 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.
Oliver reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Wilhelm 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
Oliver and Wilhelm were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 56 years, from 1959 to 2025, ending at #5 and #121.
List by list
Norway · Boys56 shared years, 1959–2025
Oliver held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Wilhelm in 6.
Highest recorded here: Oliver #1 in 2018, Wilhelm #121 in 2025.
The order changed in 1975: Oliver moved ahead. In 1974 they stood at #572 and #548; by 1975 that had become #328 and #588.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Oliver #5, Wilhelm #121.
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 | Oliver | Wilhelm |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree', though the true root is debated. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Old French | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɒlɪvər/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Ollie, Olivier, Oliviero | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #1 (2025) | Norway · Boys #121 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Oliver has a recorded origin (Old French); Wilhelm does not have one recorded yet.
- Oliver has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Wilhelm.
- A meaning is recorded for Oliver; Wilhelm doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Oliver
Popularity journey
First recorded1959
First recorded at #478 among boys in Norway in 1959 — 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 2009 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Wilhelm
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #237 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: #121 among boys in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #121 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys