Grace vs Isabella
Grace and Isabellacompared 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 2024, Grace was ranked #1 and Isabella #44 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #4 and Isabella #48 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #25 and Isabella #11 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #11 and Isabella #17 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #13 and Isabella #50 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Grace was ranked #18 and Isabella #15 among girls in New Zealand.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #503 and Isabella #122 among girls in Norway.
Grace and Isabella over time
Grace and Isabella appear together in 6 published lists, across 198 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2012, Isabella moved ahead of Grace in England and Wales · Girls — #8 and #10 the year before became #14 and #10.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Grace and Isabella changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1993 and 2025, ending at #11 and #17.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Grace and Isabella averaged 17.9 places apart, ending at #25 and #11.
- Longest-running competitions
Grace and Isabella were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 33 years, from 1993 to 2025, ending at #11 and #17.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1964–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Isabella in 0.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2020, Isabella #41 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #4, Isabella #48.
Norway · Girls34 shared years, 1960–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Isabella in 24.
Highest recorded here: Grace #354 in 2017, Isabella #48 in 2013.
The order changed in 1988: Isabella moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #607 and #610; by 1988 that had become #485 and #370.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #503, Isabella #122.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls33 shared years, 1993–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Isabella in 21.
Highest recorded here: Grace #7 in 2018, Isabella #1 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #11, Isabella #17.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Isabella in 13.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2006, Isabella #6 in 2016.
The order changed in 2012: Isabella moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #8 and #10; by 2012 that had become #14 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #25, Isabella #11.
New Zealand · Girls29 shared years, 1995–2023
Grace held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Isabella in 15.
Highest recorded here: Grace #5 in 2000, Isabella #4 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Grace #18, Isabella #15.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Isabella in 0.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2013, Isabella #27 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #1, Isabella #44.
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 | Grace | Isabella |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Grace, favour (the English virtue word, used directly as a name). | My God is an oath (via Elizabeth). |
| Origin | English (virtue name), from Latin gratia | Spanish/Italian, via Elizabeth |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡɹeɪs/ | /ˌɪzəˈbɛlə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Gracie | Bella, Izzy, Isabel, Isobel |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #4 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #17 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Grace is recorded with a English (virtue name), from Latin gratia origin, while Isabella is recorded with a Spanish/Italian, via Elizabeth origin.
- Grace has 2 syllables, compared with 4 for Isabella.
- Grace's recorded meaning differs from Isabella's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Grace
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #393 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2006 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Isabella
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #472 among girls in Norway in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1993–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2007 (recorded 1993–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #17 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls