Stephen vs Widar
Stephen and Widarcompared 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 1974, Stephen was ranked #328 and Widar #640 among boys in Norway.
Stephen and Widar over time
Stephen and Widar appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Stephen held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Widar in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Stephen #210 in 1956, Widar #212 in 1956.
List by list
Norway · Boys20 shared years, 1947–1974
Stephen held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Widar in 2.
Highest recorded here: Stephen #210 in 1956, Widar #212 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1974: Stephen #328, Widar #640.
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 | Widar |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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 #640 (1974) |
| 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); Widar does not have one recorded yet.
- Stephen and Widar both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Stephen; Widar doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
- The available evidence gives Stephen a "high" Data Confidence level and Widar 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
Widar
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #377 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1947–1974
Highest recorded position: #212 among boys in Norway, in 1956 (recorded 1947–1974).
Norway · Boys
Most recent1974
Most recently recorded at #640 among boys in Norway, in 1974.
Norway · Boys