Dawn vs Paula
Dawn and Paulacompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1956, Dawn was ranked #95 and Paula #98 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1954, Dawn was ranked #99 and Paula #100 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2002, Dawn was ranked #252 and Paula #286 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Dawn was ranked #885 and Paula #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Dawn was ranked #3318 and Paula #1491 among girls in England and Wales.
Dawn and Paula over time
Dawn and Paula appear together in 2 published lists, across 87 years of shared records. Paula held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dawn in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Paula reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Dawn 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
Dawn and Paula changed places 8 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #885 and #718.
- Longest-running competitions
Dawn and Paula were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 58 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #885 and #718.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Dawn #620 in 1996, Paula #549 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls58 shared years, 1964–2025
Dawn held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Paula in 51.
Highest recorded here: Dawn #118 in 1985, Paula #15 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dawn #885, Paula #718.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dawn held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Paula in 27.
Highest recorded here: Dawn #620 in 1996, Paula #549 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dawn #3318, Paula #1491.
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 | Dawn | Paula |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) | Norway · Girls #521 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dawn has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Paula.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Dawn
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #274 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
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Paula
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #264 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1984
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 1970 (recorded 1954–1984).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #521 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls