Namewise

Amber vs Iona

Amber and Ionacompared 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.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Amber was ranked #90 and Iona #83 among girls in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2024, Amber was ranked #122 and Iona #451 among girls in England and Wales.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Amber was ranked #148 and Iona #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls

    In 2023, Amber was ranked #264 and Iona #237 among girls in Northern Ireland.

Amber and Iona over time

Amber and Iona appear together in 3 published lists, across 80 years of shared records. Amber held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Iona 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.

Iona reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Amber 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.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Amber #31 in 1998, Iona #199 in 2000.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 19962024

    Amber held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Iona in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Amber #31 in 1998, Iona #199 in 2000.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Amber #122, Iona #451.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 19972023

    Amber held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Iona in 1.

    Highest recorded here: Amber #50 in 2014, Iona #168 in 2011.

    The order changed in 2023: Iona moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #81 and #354; by 2023 that had become #264 and #237.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Amber #264, Iona #237.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 19902025

    Amber held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Iona in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Amber #53 in 2014, Iona #314 in 2003.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Amber #148, Iona #544.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Amber, Iona
FieldAmberIona
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
OriginNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
PronunciationNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #148 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recordedNot yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Amber and Iona both have 2 syllables.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.

How each name got here

Amber

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1970

    First recorded at #447 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1978–2023

    Highest recorded position: #29 among girls in New Zealand, in 2001 (recorded 1978–2023).

    New Zealand · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #148 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

Iona

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1988

    First recorded at #492 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1988 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls