Eileen vs Paula
Eileen 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Eileen was ranked #446 and Paula #298 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Eileen was ranked #443 and Paula #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Eileen was ranked #501 and Paula #521 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Eileen was ranked #855 and Paula #1491 among girls in England and Wales.
Eileen and Paula over time
Eileen and Paula appear together in 4 published lists, across 170 years of shared records. Paula held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Eileen 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.
Paula reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Eileen 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Eileen and Paula changed places 23 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #501 and #521.
- Longest-running competitions
Eileen and Paula were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 72 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #501 and #521.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #17 and #20 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2025 they were #443 and #718.
List by list
Norway · Girls72 shared years, 1945–2025
Eileen held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Paula in 48.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #224 in 1972, Paula #214 in 1949.
The order changed in 2024: Eileen moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #371 and #364; by 2024 that had become #265 and #507.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eileen #501, Paula #521.
Republic of Ireland · Girls61 shared years, 1964–2025
Eileen held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Paula in 25.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #17 in 1964, Paula #15 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Eileen #443, Paula #718.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Eileen held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Paula in 26.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #855 in 2024, Paula #549 in 1996.
The order changed in 2022: Eileen moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #1069 and #957; by 2022 that had become #876 and #1685.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eileen #855, Paula #1491.
Northern Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 1997–2021
Eileen held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Paula in 7.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #314 in 1997, Paula #172 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Eileen #446, Paula #298.
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 | Eileen | 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | Norway · Girls #521 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Eileen and Paula both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Eileen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #324 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #501 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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