Fionnuala vs Norma
Fionnuala and Normacompared 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 2001, Fionnuala was ranked #335 and Norma #606 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Fionnuala was ranked #4056 and Norma #4709 among girls in England and Wales.
Fionnuala and Norma over time
Fionnuala and Norma appear together in 2 published lists, across 42 years of shared records. Fionnuala held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Norma in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Fionnuala reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Norma 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Fionnuala and Norma changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2001, ending at #335 and #606.
- Longest-running competitions
Fionnuala and Norma were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 34 years, from 1964 to 2001, ending at #335 and #606.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1964–2001
Fionnuala held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Norma in 2.
Highest recorded here: Fionnuala #116 in 1966, Norma #154 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Fionnuala #335, Norma #606.
England and Wales · Girls8 shared years, 1998–2023
Fionnuala held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Norma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Fionnuala #955 in 1998, Norma #3262 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Fionnuala #4056, Norma #4709.
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 | Fionnuala | Norma |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) | England and Wales · Girls #4709 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Fionnuala has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Norma.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Fionnuala
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #135 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 recorded1964–2019
Highest recorded position: #116 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1966 (recorded 1964–2019).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Norma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #332 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2001
Highest recorded position: #154 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (recorded 1964–2001).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4709 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls