Eva vs Imelda
Eva and Imeldacompared 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 2024, Eva was ranked #54 and Imelda #2115 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1998, Eva was ranked #66 and Imelda #498 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Eva and Imelda over time
Eva and Imelda appear together in 2 published lists, across 54 years of shared records. Eva held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Imelda 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.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1978, Eva moved ahead of Imelda in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #180 and #131 the year before became #140 and #172.
- Longest-running competitions
Eva and Imelda were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 35 years, from 1964 to 1998, ending at #66 and #498.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls35 shared years, 1964–1998
Eva held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Imelda in 14.
Highest recorded here: Eva #66 in 1998, Imelda #80 in 1965.
The order changed in 1978: Eva moved ahead. In 1977 they stood at #180 and #131; by 1978 that had become #140 and #172.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Eva #66, Imelda #498.
England and Wales · Girls19 shared years, 1997–2024
Eva held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Imelda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Eva #24 in 2012, Imelda #1562 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eva #54, Imelda #2115.
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 | Eva | Imelda |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A form of Eve used across many languages, from the Hebrew root 'hawa'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeh.vah/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #22 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2115 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Eva has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Imelda does not have one recorded yet.
- Eva has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Imelda.
- A meaning is recorded for Eva; Imelda doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Eva
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #8 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in Norway, in 1952 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #80 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Imelda
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #87 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 recorded1964–1998
Highest recorded position: #80 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–1998).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2115 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls