Colleen vs Tierna
Colleen and Tiernacompared 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 2016, Colleen was ranked #251 and Tierna #440 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Colleen was ranked #764 and Tierna #661 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Colleen and Tierna over time
Colleen and Tierna appear together in 2 published lists, across 25 years of shared records. Colleen held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Tierna 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.
Colleen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Tierna 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 Tierna changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1998 and 2016, ending at #251 and #440.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Colleen #103 in 1999, Tierna #139 in 2001.
List by list
Northern Ireland · Girls16 shared years, 1998–2016
Colleen held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Tierna in 7.
Highest recorded here: Colleen #103 in 1999, Tierna #139 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Colleen #251, Tierna #440.
Republic of Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2003–2021
Colleen held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Tierna in 1.
Highest recorded here: Colleen #394 in 2006, Tierna #651 in 2017.
The order changed in 2017: Tierna moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #661 and #752; by 2017 that had become #651 and #651.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Colleen #764, Tierna #661.
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 | Tierna |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Girls #407 (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 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Colleen and Tierna both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Tierna
Popularity journey
First recorded1998
First recorded at #145 among girls in Northern Ireland in 1998 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Northern Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1998–2024
Highest recorded position: #139 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 1998–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #407 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Girls