Evelyn vs Nora
Evelyn and Noracompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Evelyn was ranked #153 and Nora #3 among girls in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Evelyn was ranked #13 and Nora #52 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Evelyn was ranked #20 and Nora #86 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Evelyn was ranked #75 and Nora #44 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Evelyn was ranked #120 and Nora #72 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Evelyn was ranked #94 and Nora #76 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Evelyn and Nora over time
Evelyn and Nora appear together in 4 published lists, across 188 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Evelyn reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Nora 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2019, Nora moved ahead of Evelyn in Northern Ireland · Girls — #130 and #151 the year before became #157 and #98.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Evelyn and Nora changed places 7 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #153 and #3.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 62 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Evelyn and Nora averaged 44.1 places apart, ending at #94 and #76.
- Longest-running competitions
Evelyn and Nora were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 80 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #153 and #3.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Evelyn #13 in 2023, Nora #86 in 2024.
List by list
Norway · Girls80 shared years, 1945–2025
Evelyn held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Nora in 53.
Highest recorded here: Evelyn #102 in 1946, Nora #1 in 2014.
The order changed in 1977: Nora moved ahead. In 1976 they stood at #226 and #360; by 1977 that had become #241 and #192.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Evelyn #153, Nora #3.
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Evelyn held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Nora in 34.
Highest recorded here: Evelyn #76 in 2022, Nora #22 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Evelyn #94, Nora #76.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Evelyn held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nora in 0.
Highest recorded here: Evelyn #13 in 2023, Nora #86 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Evelyn #20, Nora #86.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1997–2024
Evelyn held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Nora in 7.
Highest recorded here: Evelyn #75 in 2024, Nora #44 in 2024.
The order changed in 2019: Nora moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #130 and #151; by 2019 that had become #157 and #98.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Evelyn #75, Nora #44.
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 | Evelyn | Nora |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From an English surname derived from the given name Aveline. Originally more common for boys in the 17th century, now used almost entirely as a feminine name. | A short form of the names Honora (linked to Latin 'honor') or Eleanor — not an independently rooted name; Behind the Name does not specify which is the 'true' source for any given historical bearer. |
| Origin | English (surname origin) | English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛv.ə.lɪn/ | /ˈnɔrə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #13 (2025) | Norway · Girls #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Evelyn is recorded with a English (surname origin) origin, while Nora is recorded with a English/Irish, short form of Honora or Eleanor origin.
- Evelyn has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Nora.
- Evelyn's recorded meaning differs from Nora's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Evelyn
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #121 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2011–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2011–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #13 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Nora
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #219 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: #1 among girls in Norway, in 2014 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls