Namewise

Paul vs Steven

Paul and Stevencompared 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.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 1996, Paul was ranked #79 and Steven #80 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 1998, Paul was ranked #86 and Steven #89 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Paul was ranked #286 and Steven #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Paul was ranked #290 and Steven #307 among boys in Scotland.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2017, Paul was ranked #323 and Steven #487 among boys in Norway.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2022, Paul was ranked #352 and Steven #414 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Paul was ranked #602 and Steven #976 among boys in England and Wales.

Paul and Steven over time

Paul and Steven appear together in 6 published lists, across 264 years of shared records. Paul held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Steven in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Paul reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Steven in 1. 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

    Paul and Steven changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1952 and 1998, ending at #86 and #89.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 46 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Paul and Steven averaged 10.4 places apart, ending at #86 and #89.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Paul and Steven were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #602 and #976.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Paul #72 in 1996, Steven #73 in 1996.

  • Started together, ended far apart

    In 1996 they stood at #72 and #73 in England and Wales · Boys, 1 places apart; by 2025 they were #602 and #976.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1964–2025

    Paul held the stronger position in 61 of those years, Steven in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Paul #3 in 1978, Steven #57 in 1990.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Paul #286, Steven #829.

  • Norway · Boys60 shared years, 1946–2017

    Paul held the stronger position in 60 of those years, Steven in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Paul #67 in 1946, Steven #224 in 1983.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Paul #323, Steven #487.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys46 shared years, 1952–1998

    Paul held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Steven in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Paul #4 in 1966, Steven #12 in 1961.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1998: Paul #86, Steven #89.

  • New Zealand · Boys43 shared years, 1954–1996

    Paul held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Steven in 6.

    Highest recorded here: Paul #3 in 1965, Steven #15 in 1967.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1996: Paul #79, Steven #80.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Paul held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Steven in 1.

    Highest recorded here: Paul #72 in 1996, Steven #73 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Paul #602, Steven #976.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2022

    Paul held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Steven in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Paul #27 in 1997, Steven #54 in 1998.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2022: Paul #352, Steven #414.

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.

Other comparisons involving Steven

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

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — started together, ended far apart.

All started together, ended far apart→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

Pairs measured inside England and Wales's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

England and Wales overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Paul, Steven
FieldPaulSteven
Record typeEditorially researched profileOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningFrom 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.Not yet recorded
OriginLatinNot yet recorded
Pronunciation/ˈpɔːl/
Syllables12
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/100Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Paul has a recorded origin (Latin); Steven does not have one recorded yet.
  • Paul has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Steven.
  • A meaning is recorded for Paul; Steven doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Paul

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1954–1998

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1998).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #602 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Steven

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1946

    First recorded at #363 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1952–2000

    Highest recorded position: #12 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2000).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #976 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys