Clodagh vs Isla
Clodagh and Islacompared 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Clodagh was ranked #431 and Isla #2 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Clodagh was ranked #1036 and Isla #4 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Clodagh was ranked #20 and Isla #8 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Clodagh was ranked #47 and Isla #13 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Clodagh and Isla over time
Clodagh and Isla appear together in 3 published lists, across 74 years of shared records. Isla held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Clodagh in 1.
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.
Clodagh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Isla in 1. 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Girls, Isla moved into the top 50 at #48 in 2011 as Clodagh fell out of it to #62, having been #44 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2011, Isla moved ahead of Clodagh in Northern Ireland · Girls — #44 and #57 the year before became #62 and #48.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Clodagh #20 in 2024, Isla #1 in 2023.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Clodagh held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Isla in 29.
Highest recorded here: Clodagh #897 in 1997, Isla #3 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Clodagh #1036, Isla #4.
Republic of Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1979–2025
Clodagh held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Isla in 9.
Highest recorded here: Clodagh #34 in 2009, Isla #11 in 2023.
The order changed in 2017: Isla moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #51 and #53; by 2017 that had become #49 and #40.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Clodagh #47, Isla #13.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2004–2024
Clodagh held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Isla in 14.
Highest recorded here: Clodagh #20 in 2024, Isla #1 in 2023.
The order changed in 2011: Isla moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #44 and #57; by 2011 that had become #62 and #48.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Clodagh #20, Isla #8.
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 | Clodagh | Isla |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A place-derived name, taken from the River Clodiagh in County Waterford, rather than from a traditional Irish word root. Popularised as a personal name by Clodagh Beresford (1879-1957), daughter of the Marquess of Waterford. | A Scottish place name; not generally treated as having a separate lexical 'meaning' beyond the river/place it names. |
| Origin | Irish | Scottish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkloʊdə/ | /ˈaɪlə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Islay |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #47 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #4 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 65/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 74/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Clodagh is recorded with a Irish origin, while Isla is recorded with a Scottish origin.
- Clodagh and Isla both have 2 syllables.
- Clodagh's recorded meaning differs from Isla's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
- The available evidence gives Clodagh a "medium" Data Confidence level and Isla a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Clodagh
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #149 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #20 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Isla
Popularity journey
First recorded1979
First recorded at #467 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2008–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2008–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls