Richard vs Vegard
Richard and Vegardcompared 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, Richard was ranked #481 and Vegard #140 among boys in Norway.
Richard and Vegard over time
Richard and Vegard appear together in 1 published list, across 77 years of shared records. Vegard held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Richard 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.
Richard reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Vegard 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1973, Vegard moved ahead of Richard in Norway · Boys — #97 and #118 the year before became #82 and #64.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Richard and Vegard changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 2023, ending at #481 and #140.
- Longest-running competitions
Richard and Vegard were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 77 years, from 1945 to 2023, ending at #481 and #140.
List by list
Norway · Boys77 shared years, 1945–2023
Richard held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Vegard in 54.
Highest recorded here: Richard #80 in 1979, Vegard #19 in 1987.
The order changed in 1973: Vegard moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #97 and #118; by 1973 that had become #82 and #64.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Richard #481, Vegard #140.
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 | Richard | Vegard |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Old German elements 'rih' (ruler, king) and 'hart' (hard, firm, brave, hardy) — 'brave ruler'. Introduced to England by the Normans in the 11th century. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Germanic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɹɪt͡ʃ.əɹd/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Norway · Boys #219 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Richard has a recorded origin (Germanic); Vegard does not have one recorded yet.
- Richard and Vegard both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Richard; Vegard doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Richard
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #219 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1999
Highest recorded position: #9 among boys in New Zealand, in 1965 (recorded 1954–1999).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Vegard
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #291 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: #19 among boys in Norway, in 1987 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #219 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys