Fionnuala vs Ursula
Fionnuala and Ursulacompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2009, Fionnuala was ranked #201 and Ursula #309 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2012, Fionnuala was ranked #677 and Ursula #907 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Fionnuala was ranked #2605 and Ursula #5927 among girls in England and Wales.
Fionnuala and Ursula over time
Fionnuala and Ursula appear together in 2 published lists, across 67 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Ursula reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Fionnuala 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 Ursula changed places 6 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #2605 and #5927.
- Longest-running competitions
Fionnuala and Ursula were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 39 years, from 1964 to 2012, ending at #677 and #907.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Fionnuala #955 in 1998, Ursula #983 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls39 shared years, 1964–2012
Fionnuala held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Ursula in 12.
Highest recorded here: Fionnuala #116 in 1966, Ursula #98 in 1964.
The order changed in 1981: Fionnuala moved ahead. In 1980 they stood at #192 and #178; by 1981 that had become #206 and #219.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Fionnuala #677, Ursula #907.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2025
Fionnuala held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Ursula in 23.
Highest recorded here: Fionnuala #955 in 1998, Ursula #983 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Fionnuala #2605, Ursula #5927.
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 | Ursula |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #2605 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5927 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Fionnuala and Ursula both have 3 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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 recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2605 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Ursula
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #98 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 recorded1964–2012
Highest recorded position: #98 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2012).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5927 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls