Ethel vs Honora
Ethel and Honoracompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1987, Ethel was ranked #488 and Honora #488 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Ethel was ranked #1229 and Honora #5927 among girls in England and Wales.
Ethel and Honora over time
Ethel and Honora appear together in 2 published lists, across 21 years of shared records. Ethel held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Honora 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.
Honora reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Ethel 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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls13 shared years, 1964–1987
Ethel held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Honora in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ethel #217 in 1969, Honora #251 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1987: Ethel #488, Honora #488.
England and Wales · Girls8 shared years, 2010–2025
Ethel held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Honora in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ethel #980 in 2024, Honora #3598 in 2023.
The order changed in 2012: Ethel moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #5707 and #5707; by 2012 that had become #2969 and #5876.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ethel #1229, Honora #5927.
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 | Ethel | Honora |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #1229 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5927 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ethel has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Honora.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Ethel
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #222 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
Highest recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #217 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1229 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Honora
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #300 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
Highest recorded1964–1987
Highest recorded position: #251 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–1987).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5927 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls