Clara vs Iona
Clara and Ionacompared 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 2023, Clara was ranked #65 and Iona #237 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Clara was ranked #73 and Iona #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Clara was ranked #83 and Iona #83 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Clara was ranked #84 and Iona #451 among girls in England and Wales.
Clara and Iona over time
Clara and Iona appear together in 3 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Clara held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Iona 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.
Iona reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Clara 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Clara rose about as far as Iona fell — from #327 and #293 in 1996 to #84 and #451 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Clara held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Iona in 8.
Highest recorded here: Clara #84 in 2024, Iona #199 in 2000.
The order changed in 2007: Clara moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #286 and #271; by 2007 that had become #242 and #314.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Clara #84, Iona #451.
Northern Ireland · Girls27 shared years, 1997–2023
Clara held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Iona in 0.
Highest recorded here: Clara #32 in 2017, Iona #168 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Clara #65, Iona #237.
Republic of Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1988–2025
Clara held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Iona in 0.
Highest recorded here: Clara #60 in 2020, Iona #314 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Clara #73, Iona #544.
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 | Clara | Iona |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #73 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #544 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Clara and Iona both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Clara
Popularity journey
First recorded1951
First recorded at #389 among girls in Norway in 1951 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #32 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2017 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #121 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Iona
Popularity journey
First recorded1988
First recorded at #492 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1988 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #544 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls