Esther vs Norma
Esther and Normacompared 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 2023, Esther was ranked #146 and Norma #4709 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2001, Esther was ranked #204 and Norma #606 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 1974, Esther was ranked #376 and Norma #574 among girls in Norway.
Esther and Norma over time
Esther and Norma appear together in 3 published lists, across 58 years of shared records. Esther held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Norma in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Esther reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Norma 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
Esther and Norma changed places 12 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2001, ending at #204 and #606.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 34 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Esther and Norma averaged 54.8 places apart, ending at #204 and #606.
- Longest-running competitions
Esther and Norma were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 34 years, from 1964 to 2001, ending at #204 and #606.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Esther #206 in 1949, Norma #291 in 1950.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1964–2001
Esther held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Norma in 11.
Highest recorded here: Esther #101 in 1965, Norma #154 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Esther #204, Norma #606.
Norway · Girls15 shared years, 1945–1974
Esther held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Norma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Esther #206 in 1949, Norma #291 in 1950.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1974: Esther #376, Norma #574.
England and Wales · Girls9 shared years, 1998–2023
Esther held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Norma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Esther #141 in 2017, Norma #3262 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Esther #146, Norma #4709.
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 | Norma |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #183 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4709 (2023) |
| 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
- Esther and Norma both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, 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 #183 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Norma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #332 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2001
Highest recorded position: #154 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (recorded 1964–2001).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4709 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls