Barbara vs Leila
Barbara and Leilacompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Barbara was ranked #2440 and Leila #268 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Barbara was ranked #856 and Leila #316 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2006, Barbara was ranked #587 and Leila #606 among girls in Norway.
Barbara and Leila over time
Barbara and Leila appear together in 3 published lists, across 91 years of shared records. Leila held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Barbara 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.
Barbara reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Leila 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
Barbara and Leila changed places 8 times in Norway · Girls between 1957 and 2006, ending at #587 and #606.
- Longest-running competitions
Barbara and Leila were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #2440 and #268.
List by list
Norway · Girls34 shared years, 1957–2006
Barbara held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Leila in 4.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #167 in 1960, Leila #204 in 1977.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2006: Barbara #587, Leila #606.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Barbara held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Leila in 30.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #848 in 1996, Leila #132 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Barbara #2440, Leila #268.
Republic of Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1981–2023
Barbara held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Leila in 20.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #78 in 1981, Leila #168 in 2011.
The order changed in 2000: Leila moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #363 and #440; by 2000 that had become #465 and #352.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Barbara #856, Leila #316.
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 | Barbara | Leila |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2440 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #268 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Barbara has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Leila.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Barbara
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #271 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1971
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1971).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2440 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Leila
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #383 among girls in Norway in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #132 among girls in England and Wales, in 2012 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #268 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls