Barbara vs Selena
Barbara and Selenacompared 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 2024, Barbara was ranked #2000 and Selena #313 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Barbara was ranked #856 and Selena #555 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Barbara and Selena over time
Barbara and Selena appear together in 2 published lists, across 70 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 2 of those lists, and Selena 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 Selena changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #2000 and #313.
- Longest-running competitions
Barbara and Selena were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 41 years, from 1969 to 2023, ending at #856 and #555.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls41 shared years, 1969–2023
Barbara held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Selena in 10.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #49 in 1971, Selena #284 in 1976.
The order changed in 2016: Selena moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #316 and #660; by 2016 that had become #585 and #448.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Barbara #856, Selena #555.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Barbara held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Selena in 22.
Highest recorded here: Barbara #848 in 1996, Selena #267 in 2023.
The order changed in 2009: Selena moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #1176 and #1206; by 2009 that had become #1171 and #1055.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barbara #2000, Selena #313.
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 | Selena |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2000 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #304 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Barbara and Selena both have 3 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
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 recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2000 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Selena
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #351 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #267 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #304 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls