Sture vs William
Sture and Williamcompared 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 1999, Sture was ranked #572 and William #48 among boys in Norway.
Sture and William over time
Sture and William appear together in 1 published list, across 36 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Sture 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.
Sture reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and William 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Sture and William changed places 9 times in Norway · Boys between 1945 and 1999, ending at #572 and #48.
- Mirrored each other
Over 36 shared years in Norway · Boys, William rose about as far as Sture fell — from #276 and #277 in 1945 to #572 and #48 in 1999.
- Longest-running competitions
Sture and William were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 36 years, from 1945 to 1999, ending at #572 and #48.
List by list
Norway · Boys36 shared years, 1945–1999
Sture held the stronger position in 10 of those years, William in 26.
Highest recorded here: Sture #205 in 1947, William #48 in 1999.
The order changed in 1971: William moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #365 and #393; by 1971 that had become #371 and #287.
Most recent shared year, 1999: Sture #572, William #48.
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 | Sture | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #572 (1999) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- William has a recorded origin (Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm)); Sture does not have one recorded yet.
- Sture and William both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for William; Sture doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
How each name got here
Sture
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #276 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–1999
Highest recorded position: #205 among boys in Norway, in 1947 (recorded 1945–1999).
Norway · Boys
Most recent1999
Most recently recorded at #572 among boys in Norway, in 1999.
Norway · Boys
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys