Grainne vs Ida
Grainne and Idacompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2022, Grainne was ranked #5669 and Ida #284 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Grainne was ranked #407 and Ida #337 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Grainne was ranked #896 and Ida #734 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Grainne and Ida over time
Grainne and Ida appear together in 3 published lists, across 43 years of shared records. Ida held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Grainne 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.
Grainne reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Ida 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Grainne #52 in 1965, Ida #325 in 1965.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls19 shared years, 1996–2022
Grainne held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Ida in 15.
Highest recorded here: Grainne #1234 in 1997, Ida #258 in 2020.
The order changed in 2000: Ida moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #1557 and #2770; by 2000 that had become #2416 and #2167.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Grainne #5669, Ida #284.
Republic of Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1964–2018
Grainne held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Ida in 1.
Highest recorded here: Grainne #52 in 1965, Ida #325 in 1965.
The order changed in 2018: Ida moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #233 and #471; by 2018 that had become #896 and #734.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Grainne #896, Ida #734.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2014–2024
Grainne held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Ida in 5.
Highest recorded here: Grainne #178 in 2019, Ida #178 in 2023.
The order changed in 2021: Ida moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #192 and #212; by 2021 that had become #298 and #190.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grainne #407, Ida #337.
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 | Grainne | Ida |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly traced to a Germanic element possibly meaning 'work' or 'labour'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Germanic, used across Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and German tradition |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈiːdɑ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Northern Ireland · Girls #407 (2024) | Norway · Girls #37 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ida has a recorded origin (Germanic, used across Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and German tradition); Grainne does not have one recorded yet.
- Grainne and Ida both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ida; Grainne doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Grainne
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #62 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 recorded1964–2018
Highest recorded position: #37 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1989 (recorded 1964–2018).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #407 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Girls
Ida
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #204 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Norway, in 1988 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #37 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls