Ayda vs Esme
Ayda and Esmecompared 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, Ayda was ranked #157 and Esme #33 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ayda was ranked #252 and Esme #51 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ayda was ranked #169 and Esme #57 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ayda was ranked #148 and Esme #135 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ayda and Esme over time
Ayda and Esme appear together in 3 published lists, across 45 years of shared records. Esme held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ayda in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Esme reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Ayda 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
Ayda and Esme changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 2010 and 2024, ending at #169 and #57.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls17 shared years, 1999–2024
Ayda held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Esme in 17.
Highest recorded here: Ayda #147 in 2020, Esme #35 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ayda #252, Esme #51.
Republic of Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 2009–2025
Ayda held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Esme in 10.
Highest recorded here: Ayda #84 in 2022, Esme #99 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ayda #148, Esme #135.
Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 2010–2024
Ayda held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Esme in 9.
Highest recorded here: Ayda #82 in 2020, Esme #57 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ayda #169, Esme #57.
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 | Ayda | Esme |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A variant of Esmé; Behind the Name notes the root element is 'esmer' without further resolving its precise sense. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Uncertain (Old French-adjacent) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈɛz.meɪ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Esmé |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #148 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #135 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Esme has a recorded origin (Uncertain (Old French-adjacent)); Ayda does not have one recorded yet.
- Ayda and Esme both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Esme; Ayda doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Ayda a "medium" Data Confidence level and Esme a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Ayda
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #2770 among girls in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2010–2024
Highest recorded position: #82 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 2010–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #148 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Esme
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #503 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #135 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls