Ayla vs Paula
Ayla and Paulacompared 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 2025, Ayla was ranked #39 and Paula #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ayla was ranked #47 and Paula #1491 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ayla was ranked #75 and Paula #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ayla was ranked #114 and Paula #521 among girls in Norway.
Ayla and Paula over time
Ayla and Paula appear together in 4 published lists, across 96 years of shared records. Ayla held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Paula in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Paula reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Ayla 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
Ayla and Paula changed places 9 times in Norway · Girls between 1991 and 2025, ending at #114 and #521.
- Mirrored each other
Over 35 shared years in Norway · Girls, Ayla rose about as far as Paula fell — from #539 and #345 in 1991 to #114 and #521 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Ayla and Paula were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 35 years, from 1991 to 2025, ending at #114 and #521.
List by list
Norway · Girls35 shared years, 1991–2025
Ayla held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Paula in 16.
Highest recorded here: Ayla #114 in 2025, Paula #251 in 1996.
The order changed in 2018: Ayla moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #313 and #306; by 2018 that had become #273 and #279.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ayla #114, Paula #521.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ayla held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Paula in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ayla #47 in 2024, Paula #549 in 1996.
The order changed in 2002: Ayla moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #796 and #765; by 2002 that had become #643 and #1066.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ayla #47, Paula #1491.
Republic of Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1999–2025
Ayla held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Paula in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ayla #39 in 2025, Paula #233 in 1999.
The order changed in 2013: Ayla moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #280 and #280; by 2013 that had become #220 and #459.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ayla #39, Paula #718.
Northern Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 2010–2024
Ayla held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Paula in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ayla #75 in 2021, Paula #298 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ayla #75, Paula #407.
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 | Ayla | Paula |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #39 (2025) | Norway · Girls #521 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ayla and Paula both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Ayla
Popularity journey
First recorded1991
First recorded at #539 among girls in Norway in 1991 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2013–2025
Highest recorded position: #39 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2022 (recorded 2013–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #43 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Paula
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #264 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1984
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 1970 (recorded 1954–1984).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #521 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls