Esther vs Irena
Esther and Irenacompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Esther was ranked #150 and Irena #4867 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 1990, Esther was ranked #475 and Irena #656 among girls in Norway.
Esther and Irena over time
Esther and Irena appear together in 2 published lists, across 59 years of shared records. Esther held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Irena in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Esther and Irena changed places 12 times in Norway · Girls between 1947 and 1990, ending at #475 and #656.
- Longest-running competitions
Esther and Irena were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 40 years, from 1947 to 1990, ending at #475 and #656.
List by list
Norway · Girls40 shared years, 1947–1990
Esther held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Irena in 8.
Highest recorded here: Esther #199 in 1947, Irena #256 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1990: Esther #475, Irena #656.
England and Wales · Girls19 shared years, 2000–2025
Esther held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Irena in 0.
Highest recorded here: Esther #141 in 2017, Irena #2416 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Esther #150, Irena #4867.
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 | Esther | Irena |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #150 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4867 (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 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Esther has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Irena.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
Esther
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #211 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2013–2023
Highest recorded position: #79 among girls in New Zealand, in 2023 (recorded 2013–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #150 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Irena
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #352 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1947–1990
Highest recorded position: #256 among girls in Norway, in 1952 (recorded 1947–1990).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4867 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls