Fiona vs Mathilda
Fiona and Mathildacompared 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 2011, Fiona was ranked #215 and Mathilda #695 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Fiona was ranked #399 and Mathilda #360 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Fiona was ranked #1406 and Mathilda #1491 among girls in England and Wales.
Fiona and Mathilda over time
Fiona and Mathilda appear together in 2 published lists, across 53 years of shared records. Fiona held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mathilda 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Fiona and Mathilda changed places 6 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1406 and #1491.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Fiona #207 in 2015, Mathilda #256 in 2014.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Fiona held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Mathilda in 6.
Highest recorded here: Fiona #157 in 1996, Mathilda #544 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Fiona #1406, Mathilda #1491.
Norway · Girls24 shared years, 1999–2025
Fiona held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Mathilda in 6.
Highest recorded here: Fiona #207 in 2015, Mathilda #256 in 2014.
The order changed in 2025: Mathilda moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #310 and #367; by 2025 that had become #399 and #360.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Fiona #399, Mathilda #360.
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 | Fiona | Mathilda |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | The feminine form of Fionn. Popularized by Scottish poet James Macpherson in his 1761 poem Fingal, where it was spelled 'Fióna'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Scottish, feminine of Fionn | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /fi.ˈoʊ.nə/ | 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #325 (2025) | Norway · Girls #360 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Fiona has a recorded origin (Scottish, feminine of Fionn); Mathilda does not have one recorded yet.
- Fiona has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Mathilda.
- A meaning is recorded for Fiona; Mathilda doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Fiona
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #87 among girls in New Zealand in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1971 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #399 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Mathilda
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1112 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 recorded1999–2025
Highest recorded position: #256 among girls in Norway, in 2014 (recorded 1999–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #360 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls