Agatha vs Meriel
Agatha and Merielcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1965, Agatha was ranked #385 and Meriel #385 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Agatha was ranked #884 and Meriel #5581 among girls in England and Wales.
Agatha and Meriel over time
Agatha and Meriel appear together in 1 published list, across 15 years of shared records. Agatha held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Meriel in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Meriel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Agatha 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
England and Wales · Girls15 shared years, 1997–2021
Agatha held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Meriel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Agatha #673 in 2017, Meriel #2189 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Agatha #884, Meriel #5581.
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 | Agatha | Meriel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5581 (2021) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Agatha has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Meriel.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Agatha
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #385 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #380 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Meriel
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #3174 among girls in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #5581 among girls in England and Wales, in 2021.
England and Wales · Girls