Freya vs Mathilda
Freya 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #7 and Mathilda #1491 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2011, Freya was ranked #60 and Mathilda #695 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #147 and Mathilda #360 among girls in Norway.
Freya and Mathilda over time
Freya and Mathilda appear together in 2 published lists, across 48 years of shared records. Freya held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mathilda in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Mathilda reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Freya and Mathilda changed places 6 times in Norway · Girls between 2005 and 2025, ending at #147 and #360.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Mathilda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Freya #5 in 2023, Mathilda #544 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #7, Mathilda #1491.
Norway · Girls19 shared years, 2005–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Mathilda in 5.
Highest recorded here: Freya #115 in 2023, Mathilda #256 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #147, 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 | Freya | Mathilda |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'lady' or 'noblewoman'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Old Norse | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfreɪə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Freyja, Freja | 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 | Scotland · Girls #1 (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 | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Freya has a recorded origin (Old Norse); Mathilda does not have one recorded yet.
- Freya has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Mathilda.
- A meaning is recorded for Freya; Mathilda doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Freya a "high" Data Confidence level and Mathilda 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
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