Namewise

Grace vs Isla

Grace and Islacompared 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 Isla #8 among girls in Northern Ireland.

  • Scotland · Girls

    In 2024, Grace was ranked #13 and Isla #2 among girls in Scotland.

  • New Zealand · Girls

    In 2023, Grace was ranked #18 and Isla #3 among girls in New Zealand.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Grace was ranked #27 and Isla #4 among girls in England and Wales.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 2025, Grace was ranked #11 and Isla #4 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2025, Grace was ranked #4 and Isla #13 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

Grace and Isla over time

Grace and Isla appear together in 5 published lists, across 113 years of shared records. Grace held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Isla in 1.

The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Grace reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Isla 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.

  • One moved ahead of the other

    In 2012, Isla moved ahead of Grace in England and Wales · Girls — #8 and #15 the year before became #14 and #8.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 20 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Grace and Isla averaged 21.4 places apart, ending at #18 and #3.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 20 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Isla rose about as far as Grace fell — from #9 and #92 in 2004 to #18 and #3 in 2023.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Grace and Isla were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #27 and #4.

List by list

  • England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Grace held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Isla in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2006, Isla #3 in 2014.

    The order changed in 2012: Isla moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #8 and #15; by 2012 that had become #14 and #8.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #27, Isla #4.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1979–2025

    Grace held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Isla in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2020, Isla #11 in 2023.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #4, Isla #13.

  • Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2004–2024

    Grace held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Isla in 1.

    Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2013, Isla #1 in 2023.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #1, Isla #8.

  • New Zealand · Girls20 shared years, 2004–2023

    Grace held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Isla in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Grace #6 in 2011, Isla #1 in 2020.

    The order changed in 2012: Isla moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #6 and #13; by 2012 that had become #16 and #12.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Grace #18, Isla #3.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls18 shared years, 2008–2025

    Grace held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Isla in 9.

    Highest recorded here: Grace #7 in 2018, Isla #1 in 2023.

    The order changed in 2017: Isla moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #8 and #9; by 2017 that had become #8 and #6.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #11, Isla #4.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Grace

Pairs where Grace shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Isla

Pairs where Isla shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs measured inside New South Wales, Australia's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Grace, Isla
FieldGraceIsla
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningGrace, favour (the English virtue word, used directly as a name).A Scottish place name; not generally treated as having a separate lexical 'meaning' beyond the river/place it names.
OriginEnglish (virtue name), from Latin gratiaScottish
Pronunciation/ˈɡɹeɪs//ˈaɪlə/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesGracieIslay
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Girls #4 (2025)England and Wales · Girls #4 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighhigh

What the data shows

  • Grace is recorded with a English (virtue name), from Latin gratia origin, while Isla is recorded with a Scottish origin.
  • Grace and Isla both have 2 syllables.
  • Grace's recorded meaning differs from Isla's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Grace

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1996–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2006 (recorded 1996–2025).

    England and Wales · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #27 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Isla

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1979

    First recorded at #467 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  2. Highest recorded2008–2025

    Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2008–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #4 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls