Aideen vs Barbara
Aideen and Barbaracompared 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 2023, Aideen was ranked #495 and Barbara #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2019, Aideen was ranked #5591 and Barbara #1063 among girls in England and Wales.
Aideen and Barbara over time
Aideen and Barbara appear together in 2 published lists, across 66 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Barbara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Aideen 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
Aideen and Barbara changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2023, ending at #495 and #856.
- Longest-running competitions
Aideen and Barbara were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 56 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #495 and #856.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Aideen #2701 in 1998, Barbara #848 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls56 shared years, 1964–2023
Aideen held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Barbara in 23.
Highest recorded here: Aideen #106 in 1991, Barbara #43 in 1964.
The order changed in 2016: Aideen moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #362 and #316; by 2016 that had become #247 and #585.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Aideen #495, Barbara #856.
England and Wales · Girls10 shared years, 1996–2019
Aideen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Barbara in 10.
Highest recorded here: Aideen #2701 in 1998, Barbara #848 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Aideen #5591, Barbara #1063.
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 | Aideen | Barbara |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aideen has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Barbara.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Aideen
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #171 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 recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #106 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1991 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Barbara
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #271 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1971
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1971).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls