Ashleigh vs Laura
Ashleigh and Lauracompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2005, Ashleigh was ranked #87 and Laura #44 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2005, Ashleigh was ranked #72 and Laura #69 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Ashleigh was ranked #764 and Laura #78 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2016, Ashleigh was ranked #440 and Laura #92 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ashleigh was ranked #1819 and Laura #258 among girls in England and Wales.
Ashleigh and Laura over time
Ashleigh and Laura appear together in 5 published lists, across 123 years of shared records. Laura held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Ashleigh in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ashleigh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Laura 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
Ashleigh and Laura changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1986 and 2005, ending at #72 and #69.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Ashleigh and Laura averaged 13.7 places apart, ending at #87 and #44.
- Longest-running competitions
Ashleigh and Laura were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 37 years, from 1971 to 2021, ending at #764 and #78.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ashleigh #58 in 1996, Laura #17 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls37 shared years, 1971–2021
Ashleigh held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Laura in 37.
Highest recorded here: Ashleigh #162 in 1995, Laura #2 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Ashleigh #764, Laura #78.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ashleigh held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Laura in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ashleigh #58 in 1996, Laura #17 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ashleigh #1819, Laura #258.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls21 shared years, 1985–2005
Ashleigh held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Laura in 21.
Highest recorded here: Ashleigh #13 in 1993, Laura #9 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Ashleigh #87, Laura #44.
New Zealand · Girls20 shared years, 1986–2005
Ashleigh held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Laura in 15.
Highest recorded here: Ashleigh #8 in 1992, Laura #8 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Ashleigh #72, Laura #69.
Northern Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 1997–2016
Ashleigh held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Laura in 16.
Highest recorded here: Ashleigh #87 in 1997, Laura #13 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Ashleigh #440, Laura #92.
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 | Ashleigh | Laura |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Latin 'laurus' meaning 'laurel' — laurel wreaths honoured victors in ancient Rome. Also the subject of 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch's poems. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈlɔɹ.ə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #1819 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #112 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 53/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Laura has a recorded origin (Latin); Ashleigh does not have one recorded yet.
- Ashleigh and Laura both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Laura; Ashleigh doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Ashleigh
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #417 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1986–2005
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1986–2005).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1819 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Laura
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #313 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #141 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls