Ailish vs Sheena
Ailish and Sheenacompared 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 2018, Ailish was ranked #387 and Sheena #734 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2017, Ailish was ranked #2201 and Sheena #5765 among girls in England and Wales.
Ailish and Sheena over time
Ailish and Sheena appear together in 2 published lists, across 71 years of shared records. Ailish held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Sheena 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.
Sheena reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Ailish 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
Ailish and Sheena changed places 8 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2017, ending at #2201 and #5765.
- Longest-running competitions
Ailish and Sheena were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 50 years, from 1964 to 2018, ending at #387 and #734.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ailish #551 in 1997, Sheena #802 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls50 shared years, 1964–2018
Ailish held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Sheena in 11.
Highest recorded here: Ailish #138 in 1990, Sheena #173 in 1985.
The order changed in 2013: Ailish moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #560 and #560; by 2013 that had become #399 and #894.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Ailish #387, Sheena #734.
England and Wales · Girls21 shared years, 1996–2017
Ailish held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Sheena in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ailish #551 in 1997, Sheena #802 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Ailish #2201, Sheena #5765.
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 | Ailish | Sheena |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #483 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #734 (2018) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ailish and Sheena both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Ailish
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #327 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: #138 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1990 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #483 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Sheena
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #327 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 recorded1964–2018
Highest recorded position: #173 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1964–2018).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2018
Most recently recorded at #734 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2018.
Republic of Ireland · Girls