Gemma vs Lorna
Gemma and Lornacompared 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 2005, Gemma was ranked #99 and Lorna #318 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Gemma was ranked #736 and Lorna #631 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Gemma was ranked #1541 and Lorna #2115 among girls in England and Wales.
Gemma and Lorna over time
Gemma and Lorna appear together in 2 published lists, across 89 years of shared records. Gemma held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Lorna in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Gemma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Lorna 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
Gemma and Lorna changed places 12 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2024, ending at #736 and #631.
- Longest-running competitions
Gemma and Lorna were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 60 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #736 and #631.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Gemma #50 in 1996, Lorna #161 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls60 shared years, 1964–2024
Gemma held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Lorna in 19.
Highest recorded here: Gemma #36 in 1992, Lorna #54 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gemma #736, Lorna #631.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Gemma held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Lorna in 6.
Highest recorded here: Gemma #50 in 1996, Lorna #161 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Gemma #1541, Lorna #2115.
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 | Gemma | Lorna |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #631 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Gemma and Lorna both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Gemma
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #149 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 recorded1982–2008
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in New Zealand, in 1984 (recorded 1982–2008).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Lorna
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #149 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 recorded1964–2024
Highest recorded position: #54 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1995 (recorded 1964–2024).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2115 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls