Aoife vs Willow

Aoife and Willowcompared 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 2024, Aoife was ranked #4 and Willow #44 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Aoife was ranked #220 and Willow #21 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Aoife was ranked #87 and Willow #29 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Aoife was ranked #34 and Willow #58 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

Aoife and Willow over time

Aoife and Willow appear together in 3 published lists, across 70 years of shared records. Aoife held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Willow in 1.

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.

Aoife reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Willow 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.

List by list

England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aoife held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Willow in 24.
Highest recorded here: Aoife #167 in 2015, Willow #9 in 2023.
The order changed in 2001: Willow moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #313 and #427; by 2001 that had become #323 and #251.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aoife #220, Willow #21.
Republic of Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 2003–2025
Aoife held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Willow in 1.
Highest recorded here: Aoife #3 in 2003, Willow #29 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aoife #34, Willow #58.
Northern Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 2007–2024
Aoife held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Willow in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aoife #4 in 2024, Willow #24 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aoife #4, Willow #44.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Aoife

Pairs where Aoife shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Aoife vs Rachael
In 1997 they stood at #17 and #25 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2017 they were #14 and #432.
Aoife · Rachael · 19 shared years, 1997–2017 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2017 Northern Ireland ranking
Aoife vs Nicole
In 1997 they stood at #17 and #16 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 1 places apart; by 2024 they were #4 and #407.
Aoife · Nicole · 27 shared years, 1997–2024 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2024 Northern Ireland ranking
Aoife vs Danielle
In 1997 they stood at #17 and #24 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2023 they were #8 and #391.
Aoife · Danielle · 21 shared years, 1997–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2023 Northern Ireland ranking
Aoife vs Victoria
In 1997 they stood at #17 and #27 in Northern Ireland · Girls, 10 places apart; by 2023 they were #8 and #302.
Aoife · Victoria · 27 shared years, 1997–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2023 Northern Ireland ranking

Other comparisons involving Willow

Pairs where Willow shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Willow vs Evelyn
Willow and Evelyn both rose over the same years in 5 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Willow · Evelyn · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Willow vs Aurora
Willow and Aurora both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Willow · Aurora · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Charlotte vs Willow
Charlotte and Willow both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Charlotte · Willow · 23 shared years, 2003–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Freya vs Willow
Freya and Willow both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Freya · Willow · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Aoife, Willow
Field	Aoife	Willow
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Editorially researched profile
Gender usage	female	female
Meaning	Not yet recorded	From the name of the willow tree, ultimately from Old English 'welig' — an English nature/word name.
Origin	Not yet recorded	English, a modern nature name from the willow tree
Pronunciation	Not yet recorded	/ˈwɪl.oʊ/
Syllables	2	2
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Girls #34 (2025)	New South Wales, Australia · Girls #23 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	94/100	88/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Willow has a recorded origin (English, a modern nature name from the willow tree); Aoife does not have one recorded yet.
Aoife and Willow both have 2 syllables.
A meaning is recorded for Willow; Aoife doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.

How each name got here

Aoife

Popularity journey

First recorded1964
First recorded at #206 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: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #34 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls

Willow

Popularity journey

First recorded1996
First recorded at #891 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2010–2023
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in New Zealand, in 2020 (recorded 2010–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls