Gail vs Susan
Gail and Susancompared 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1966, Gail was ranked #89 and Susan #4 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1966, Gail was ranked #94 and Susan #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2004, Gail was ranked #677 and Susan #272 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2008, Gail was ranked #5545 and Susan #878 among girls in England and Wales.
Gail and Susan over time
Gail and Susan appear together in 4 published lists, across 61 years of shared records. Susan held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Gail in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Gail #15 in 1952, Susan #1 in 1954.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1964–2004
Gail held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Susan in 26.
Highest recorded here: Gail #178 in 1971, Susan #14 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Gail #677, Susan #272.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls15 shared years, 1952–1966
Gail held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Susan in 15.
Highest recorded here: Gail #15 in 1952, Susan #1 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1966: Gail #94, Susan #8.
New Zealand · Girls11 shared years, 1954–1966
Gail held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Susan in 11.
Highest recorded here: Gail #34 in 1954, Susan #1 in 1955.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1966: Gail #89, Susan #4.
England and Wales · Girls9 shared years, 1996–2008
Gail held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Susan in 9.
Highest recorded here: Gail #1958 in 1997, Susan #397 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Gail #5545, Susan #878.
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 | Gail | Susan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5545 (2008) | England and Wales · Girls #2253 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gail has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Susan.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Gail
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #15 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1966
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1966).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2008
Most recently recorded at #5545 among girls in England and Wales, in 2008.
England and Wales · Girls
Susan
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #239 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1985
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1954 (recorded 1952–1985).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2253 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls