Evelyn vs Raya
Evelyn and Rayacompared 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, Evelyn was ranked #20 and Raya #82 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Evelyn was ranked #75 and Raya #70 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Evelyn was ranked #94 and Raya #99 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Evelyn was ranked #120 and Raya #117 among girls in Scotland.
Evelyn and Raya over time
Evelyn and Raya appear together in 3 published lists, across 50 years of shared records. Evelyn held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Raya 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.
Evelyn reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Raya 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.
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 2023, Raya moved ahead of Evelyn in Northern Ireland · Girls — #114 and #147 the year before became #102 and #95.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Evelyn #13 in 2023, Raya #82 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Evelyn held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Raya in 0.
Highest recorded here: Evelyn #13 in 2023, Raya #82 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Evelyn #20, Raya #82.
Republic of Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 2010–2025
Evelyn held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Raya in 0.
Highest recorded here: Evelyn #76 in 2022, Raya #99 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Evelyn #94, Raya #99.
Northern Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 2014–2024
Evelyn held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Raya in 2.
Highest recorded here: Evelyn #75 in 2024, Raya #70 in 2024.
The order changed in 2023: Raya moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #114 and #147; by 2023 that had become #102 and #95.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Evelyn #75, Raya #70.
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 | Raya |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English (surname origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛv.ə.lɪn/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #13 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #99 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (English (surname origin)); Raya does not have one recorded yet.
- Evelyn has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Raya.
- A meaning is recorded for Evelyn; Raya doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
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
Raya
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2350 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2014–2024
Highest recorded position: #70 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 2014–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #99 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls