Bethany vs Paula
Bethany 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Bethany was ranked #253 and Paula #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Bethany was ranked #539 and Paula #1491 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Bethany was ranked #544 and Paula #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Bethany and Paula over time
Bethany and Paula appear together in 3 published lists, across 78 years of shared records. Bethany held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Paula in 0.
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.
Paula reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Bethany 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
Bethany and Paula changed places 11 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1991 and 2025, ending at #544 and #718.
- Longest-running competitions
Bethany and Paula were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 32 years, from 1991 to 2025, ending at #544 and #718.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Bethany #32 in 1998, Paula #172 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls32 shared years, 1991–2025
Bethany held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Paula in 11.
Highest recorded here: Bethany #179 in 2003, Paula #108 in 1991.
The order changed in 2022: Bethany moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #544 and #375; by 2022 that had become #357 and #747.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Bethany #544, Paula #718.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Bethany held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Paula in 0.
Highest recorded here: Bethany #11 in 1999, Paula #549 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bethany #539, Paula #1491.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1997–2024
Bethany held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Paula in 0.
Highest recorded here: Bethany #32 in 1998, Paula #172 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bethany #253, 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 | Bethany | 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 | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025) | Norway · Girls #521 (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
- Bethany has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Paula.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Bethany
Popularity journey
First recorded1991
First recorded at #457 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1991 — 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: #11 among girls in England and Wales, in 1999 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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