Freya vs Poppy
Freya and Poppycompared 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 Poppy #24 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #6 and Poppy #7 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #10 and Poppy #47 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #25 and Poppy #105 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Freya was ranked #31 and Poppy #36 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #49 and Poppy #45 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Freya and Poppy over time
Freya and Poppy appear together in 6 published lists, across 126 years of shared records. Freya held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Poppy in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Poppy reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Freya in 1. 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 Poppy in New Zealand · Girls — #37 and #27 the year before became #22 and #41.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Freya and Poppy changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 2016 and 2025, ending at #49 and #45.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Freya and Poppy averaged 8.1 places apart, ending at #6 and #7.
- Longest-running competitions
Freya and Poppy were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #6 and #7.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Freya #38 in 2023, Poppy #44 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Poppy in 11.
Highest recorded here: Freya #5 in 2023, Poppy #5 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #6, Poppy #7.
Republic of Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1990–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Poppy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Freya #12 in 2024, Poppy #89 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #25, Poppy #105.
Scotland · Girls25 shared years, 2024–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Poppy in 0.
Highest recorded here: Freya #3 in 2024, Poppy #24 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #3, Poppy #24.
Northern Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 2002–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Poppy in 11.
Highest recorded here: Freya #9 in 2022, Poppy #27 in 2021.
The order changed in 2015: Freya moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #43 and #32; by 2015 that had become #28 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #10, Poppy #47.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls10 shared years, 2016–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Poppy in 6.
Highest recorded here: Freya #38 in 2023, Poppy #44 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #49, Poppy #45.
New Zealand · Girls10 shared years, 2014–2023
Freya held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Poppy in 5.
Highest recorded here: Freya #22 in 2021, Poppy #27 in 2020.
The order changed in 2021: Freya moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #37 and #27; by 2021 that had become #22 and #41.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Freya #31, Poppy #36.
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 | Poppy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'lady' or 'noblewoman'. | Taken directly from the English word for the red flower. |
| Origin | Old Norse | English, from Old English popæg, ultimately from Latin papaver |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfreɪə/ | /ˈpɒpi/ |
| 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) | England and Wales · Girls #7 (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 Poppy is recorded with a English, from Old English popæg, ultimately from Latin papaver origin.
- Freya has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Poppy.
- Freya's recorded meaning differs from Poppy'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 Poppy 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 #6 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Poppy
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #517 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in England and Wales, in 2014 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #7 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls