Freya vs Hazel
Freya and Hazelcompared 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.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #3 and Hazel #97 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #7 and Hazel #75 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #49 and Hazel #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Freya was ranked #31 and Hazel #10 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #10 and Hazel #169 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #25 and Hazel #55 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Freya and Hazel over time
Freya and Hazel appear together in 6 published lists, across 113 years of shared records. Freya held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Hazel 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.
Freya reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Hazel 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 2009, Freya moved ahead of Hazel in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #110 and #98 the year before became #67 and #130.
- Longest-running competitions
Freya and Hazel were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 34 years, from 1987 to 2025, ending at #25 and #55.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Freya #5 in 2023, Hazel #75 in 2024.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1987–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Hazel in 17.
Highest recorded here: Freya #12 in 2024, Hazel #44 in 2024.
The order changed in 2009: Freya moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #110 and #98; by 2009 that had become #67 and #130.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #25, Hazel #55.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Hazel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Freya #5 in 2023, Hazel #75 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #7, Hazel #75.
Scotland · Girls21 shared years, 2024–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Hazel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Freya #3 in 2024, Hazel #97 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #3, Hazel #97.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls10 shared years, 2016–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Hazel in 10.
Highest recorded here: Freya #38 in 2023, Hazel #8 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #49, Hazel #8.
New Zealand · Girls10 shared years, 2014–2023
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Hazel in 10.
Highest recorded here: Freya #22 in 2021, Hazel #10 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Freya #31, Hazel #10.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2008–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Hazel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Freya #10 in 2020, Hazel #169 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #10, Hazel #169.
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 | Hazel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'lady' or 'noblewoman'. | From the English word for the hazel tree, or the light brown colour associated with it, ultimately from Old English 'hæsel'. Created as a given name in the 19th century. |
| Origin | Old Norse | English (nature name) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfreɪə/ | /ˈheɪ.zəl/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Freyja, Freja | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Girls #1 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #8 (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 | medium |
What the data shows
- Freya is recorded with a Old Norse origin, while Hazel is recorded with a English (nature name) origin.
- Freya has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Hazel.
- Freya's recorded meaning differs from Hazel's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Freya a "high" Data Confidence level and Hazel a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Hazel
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #154 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 recorded2014–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 2014–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls