Freya vs Grace
Freya and Gracecompared 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 2024, Freya was ranked #10 and Grace #1 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #3 and Grace #13 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #25 and Grace #4 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #7 and Grace #25 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #49 and Grace #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Freya was ranked #31 and Grace #18 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #147 and Grace #503 among girls in Norway.
Freya and Grace over time
Freya and Grace appear together in 7 published lists, across 137 years of shared records. Grace held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Freya in 2.
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.
Grace reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Freya 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 2021, Freya moved ahead of Grace in England and Wales · Girls — #12 and #11 the year before became #6 and #14.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Freya and Grace averaged 22.8 places apart, ending at #7 and #25.
- Longest-running competitions
Freya and Grace were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 34 years, from 1987 to 2025, ending at #25 and #4.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Freya #22 in 2021, Grace #11 in 2019.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1987–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Grace in 34.
Highest recorded here: Freya #12 in 2024, Grace #1 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #25, Grace #4.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Grace in 25.
Highest recorded here: Freya #5 in 2023, Grace #1 in 2006.
The order changed in 2021: Freya moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #12 and #11; by 2021 that had become #6 and #14.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #7, Grace #25.
Northern Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1997–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Grace in 24.
Highest recorded here: Freya #9 in 2022, Grace #1 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #10, Grace #1.
Scotland · Girls16 shared years, 2024–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Grace in 0.
Highest recorded here: Freya #3 in 2024, Grace #13 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #3, Grace #13.
Norway · Girls14 shared years, 2005–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Grace in 0.
Highest recorded here: Freya #115 in 2023, Grace #354 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #147, Grace #503.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls10 shared years, 2016–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Grace in 10.
Highest recorded here: Freya #38 in 2023, Grace #7 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #49, Grace #11.
New Zealand · Girls10 shared years, 2014–2023
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Grace in 10.
Highest recorded here: Freya #22 in 2021, Grace #11 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Freya #31, Grace #18.
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 | Freya | Grace |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'lady' or 'noblewoman'. | Grace, favour (the English virtue word, used directly as a name). |
| Origin | Old Norse | English (virtue name), from Latin gratia |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfreɪə/ | /ˈɡɹeɪs/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Freyja, Freja | Gracie |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Girls #1 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #4 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Freya is recorded with a Old Norse origin, while Grace is recorded with a English (virtue name), from Latin gratia origin.
- Freya has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Grace.
- Freya's recorded meaning differs from Grace's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Freya
Popularity journey
First recorded1987
First recorded at #488 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2024–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Scotland, in 2025 (recorded 2024–2025).
Scotland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Grace
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #393 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2006 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls