Agnes vs Hilary
Agnes and Hilarycompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Agnes was ranked #574 and Hilary #4709 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Agnes was ranked #910 and Hilary #663 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Agnes and Hilary over time
Agnes and Hilary appear together in 2 published lists, across 60 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Agnes and Hilary changed places 9 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2010, ending at #910 and #663.
- Longest-running competitions
Agnes and Hilary were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 38 years, from 1964 to 2010, ending at #910 and #663.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Agnes #101 in 1964, Hilary #106 in 1965.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls38 shared years, 1964–2010
Agnes held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Hilary in 28.
Highest recorded here: Agnes #101 in 1964, Hilary #106 in 1965.
The order changed in 2010: Hilary moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #641 and #893; by 2010 that had become #910 and #663.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Agnes #910, Hilary #663.
England and Wales · Girls22 shared years, 1996–2023
Agnes held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Hilary in 1.
Highest recorded here: Agnes #334 in 2015, Hilary #916 in 1996.
The order changed in 1997: Agnes moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #1914 and #916; by 1997 that had become #874 and #1543.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Agnes #574, Hilary #4709.
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 | Agnes | Hilary |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #49 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4709 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Agnes has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Hilary.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Agnes
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #128 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #39 among girls in Norway, in 2014 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Hilary
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #129 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2010
Highest recorded position: #106 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2010).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4709 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls