Aileen vs Samantha
Aileen and Samanthacompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Aileen was ranked #434 and Samantha #313 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2019, Aileen was ranked #464 and Samantha #343 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Aileen was ranked #718 and Samantha #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Aileen was ranked #3035 and Samantha #778 among girls in England and Wales.
Aileen and Samantha over time
Aileen and Samantha appear together in 4 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Samantha held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Aileen in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Aileen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Samantha in 1. 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
Aileen and Samantha changed places 10 times in Norway · Girls between 1969 and 2019, ending at #464 and #343.
- Longest-running competitions
Aileen and Samantha were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #3035 and #778.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Aileen #1434 in 1996, Samantha #32 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls57 shared years, 1966–2025
Aileen held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Samantha in 42.
Highest recorded here: Aileen #81 in 1983, Samantha #33 in 1986.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aileen #718, Samantha #885.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Aileen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samantha in 30.
Highest recorded here: Aileen #1434 in 1996, Samantha #32 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aileen #3035, Samantha #778.
Norway · Girls21 shared years, 1969–2019
Aileen held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Samantha in 16.
Highest recorded here: Aileen #398 in 2016, Samantha #298 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Aileen #464, Samantha #343.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 1997–2018
Aileen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samantha in 9.
Highest recorded here: Aileen #221 in 1997, Samantha #57 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Aileen #434, Samantha #313.
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 | Aileen | Samantha |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Likely a feminine adaptation of Samuel, incorporating a suffix possibly derived from Greek 'anthos' ('flower'). Emerged in 18th-century America; boosted to wide popularity by the 1964 television series Bewitched. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /sə.ˈmæn.θə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) | Norway · Girls #525 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Samantha has a recorded origin (Hebrew, feminine adaptation (uncertain suffix origin)); Aileen does not have one recorded yet.
- Aileen has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Samantha.
- A meaning is recorded for Samantha; Aileen doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Aileen
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #100 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: #81 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1983 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3035 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Samantha
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #79 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2013
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1992 (recorded 1966–2013).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #778 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls