Cayla vs Selma
Cayla and Selmacompared 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 2015, Cayla was ranked #532 and Selma #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Cayla was ranked #5687 and Selma #1705 among girls in England and Wales.
Cayla and Selma over time
Cayla and Selma appear together in 1 published list, across 24 years of shared records. Selma held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cayla 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.
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
Cayla and Selma changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2023, ending at #5687 and #1705.
- Mirrored each other
Over 24 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Selma rose about as far as Cayla fell — from #3126 and #3795 in 1996 to #5687 and #1705 in 2023.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Cayla #1165 in 2005, Selma #1082 in 2005.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls24 shared years, 1996–2023
Cayla held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Selma in 16.
Highest recorded here: Cayla #1165 in 2005, Selma #1082 in 2005.
The order changed in 2013: Selma moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #1649 and #2521; by 2013 that had become #3536 and #1707.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Cayla #5687, Selma #1705.
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 | Cayla | Selma |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5687 (2023) | Norway · Girls #11 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cayla and Selma both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Cayla
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #3126 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2002–2020
Highest recorded position: #330 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2012 (recorded 2002–2020).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #5687 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls
Selma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #352 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls