Stefan vs Stein
Stefan and Steincompared 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 2015, Stefan was ranked #201 and Stein #503 among boys in Norway.
Stefan and Stein over time
Stefan and Stein appear together in 1 published list, across 66 years of shared records. Stein held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Stefan 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.
Stein reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Stefan 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 1986, Stefan moved ahead of Stein in Norway · Boys — #137 and #132 the year before became #108 and #128.
- Longest-running competitions
Stefan and Stein were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 66 years, from 1947 to 2015, ending at #201 and #503.
List by list
Norway · Boys66 shared years, 1947–2015
Stefan held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Stein in 35.
Highest recorded here: Stefan #98 in 1990, Stein #14 in 1954.
The order changed in 1986: Stefan moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #137 and #132; by 1986 that had become #108 and #128.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Stefan #201, Stein #503.
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 | Stefan | Stein |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #272 (2025) | Norway · Boys #503 (2015) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Stefan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Stein.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Stefan
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #343 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1947–2025
Highest recorded position: #98 among boys in Norway, in 1990 (recorded 1947–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #272 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Stein
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #42 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2015
Highest recorded position: #14 among boys in Norway, in 1954 (recorded 1945–2015).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2015
Most recently recorded at #503 among boys in Norway, in 2015.
Norway · Boys