Colleen vs Samara
Colleen and Samaracompared 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 2014, Colleen was ranked #314 and Samara #439 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Colleen was ranked #764 and Samara #883 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Colleen was ranked #4763 and Samara #782 among girls in England and Wales.
Colleen and Samara over time
Colleen and Samara appear together in 2 published lists, across 26 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Colleen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Samara 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
Colleen and Samara changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2016, ending at #4763 and #782.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 1996–2016
Colleen held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Samara in 16.
Highest recorded here: Colleen #753 in 1996, Samara #590 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Colleen #4763, Samara #782.
Northern Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 1998–2014
Colleen held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Samara in 0.
Highest recorded here: Colleen #105 in 1998, Samara #219 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Colleen #314, Samara #439.
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 | Colleen | Samara |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1097 (2024) |
| 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
- Colleen has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Samara.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Colleen
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #41 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1966
Highest recorded position: #41 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1966).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Samara
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #643 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 recorded1998–2014
Highest recorded position: #219 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2006 (recorded 1998–2014).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1097 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls