Stephen vs Ulrik
Stephen and Ulrikcompared 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 2001, Stephen was ranked #522 and Ulrik #105 among boys in Norway.
Stephen and Ulrik over time
Stephen and Ulrik appear together in 1 published list, across 27 years of shared records. Stephen held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ulrik 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.
Stephen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ulrik 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.
List by list
Norway · Boys27 shared years, 1946–2001
Stephen held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Ulrik in 12.
Highest recorded here: Stephen #250 in 1990, Ulrik #105 in 2001.
The order changed in 1988: Ulrik moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #314 and #373; by 1988 that had become #436 and #245.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Stephen #522, Ulrik #105.
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 | Stephen | Ulrik |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From Greek Stephanos, meaning 'crown, wreath' — literally 'that which surrounds'. Saint Stephen, a deacon stoned to death in the New Testament, is regarded as the first Christian martyr. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈstiː.vən/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Steven, Stefan, Stephan | 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 #14 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Stephen has a recorded origin (Greek); Ulrik does not have one recorded yet.
- Stephen and Ulrik both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Stephen; Ulrik doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
- The available evidence gives Stephen a "high" Data Confidence level and Ulrik a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Stephen
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #352 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1997
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1955 (recorded 1952–1997).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Ulrik
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #364 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1946–2025
Highest recorded position: #14 among boys in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1946–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #14 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys